Once Upon A Time
by luci465
Summary: This is a small glimpse into the future of the Tasker-Montgomery family. It takes place during the family's nightly storytime and is definitely on the fluffy side.
1. And So It Begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to AMC and Prospect Park, at least I think they still own them. I also do not own the story idea of "Once Upon A Time" that will be used. That is owned by Disney and ABC. I am simply borrowing all of this, throwing it together and taking all of it for a spin.**

**A/N: Yep, it's a new story. Here's the deal. While working on the latest chapter for Things Change, this popped into my head. This was inspired by three different things. First, it was inspired by a couple of stories out here giving us a glimpse into the future of the Tasker-Montgomery clan. That leads me to inspiration number 2 of my own story of "Things Change", which I'm not giving up and will continue to write. There are a couple of breadcrumbs in this story that will give you a sneak peek of things to come in "Things Change". I know you'll catch them because you always do. The third inspiration is the TV show "Once Upon A Time" which I love and can't wait for new episodes. That will come more into play as this little story develops. I'm not sure how many chapters this will be yet, but it won't be a long one.**

**Reviews are welcomed and appreciated and will let me know whether to continue with this story. Thanks in advance, and I hope you enjoy! **

**/ **

Bianca smiled as she tucked their youngest child into bed. The four year old was the spitting image of Marissa, from the fiery red hair to the hazel eyes that were inquisitive and mischievous at the same time and didn't miss anything to the dash of freckles across the bridge of the nose that were just the right amount to the irresistible cleft chin to the smile that could melt the coldest of hearts.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"It's bedtime story time. Is mama coming soon?"

"Yes, she's just helping Gabby finish up, and they'll both be here very soon. What story would you like to hear tonight? It's your turn to pick." The nightly ritual was still going strong although the audience had changed somewhat. Gabby still loved hearing them, but AJ and Miranda were now teens and not quite as into them as they used to be. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Every now and then Marissa and Bianca would catch them hanging around outside their youngest siblings' rooms eavesdropping.

The four year old scrunched up their face pondering the question of which story would be heard tonight. Suddenly, that mischievous gleam that was pure Marissa appeared in hazel eyes. "I wanna hear a new story, mommy."

"Well, we have several new books that you got from Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach for your birthday. I'll get them, and you can pick one."

The tiny redhead shook their head. "No, I wanna hear a new story, not one that's in a book."

"One that's not in a book?"

"Uh huh!"

"Well, that sounds like your mama's specialty."

"Do you think she'll do it?"

"Oh, I think we can convince her if we ask really nice and promise to be good." Bianca grinned knowing full well that Marissa would easily be convinced.

Marissa entered the bedroom behind Gabby. "Okay, what's on tap for tonight's story?"

"Our youngest has requested an original story tonight, one not to be found in a book. A Marissa original story, if you will."

"Ooh, I like it! We haven't had an original story in a while. Please, ma!" Gabby smiled brightly.

"Pwease, mama!"

"Please, Rissa!" Bianca grinned.

Marissa sighed and shook her head. She knew that not only was she outnumbered, but there was no way she could possibly refuse the trio in front of her, not when they were looking at her like they were at that moment. "Alright, an original story it is." She laughed when all three cheered. "I just need a minute to think of something. The three of you get settled while I see what I can come up with."

"Are AJ and Miranda done with their homework?" Bianca asked.

"They were just wrapping it up and were going to pop in to say goodnight."

"They don't wanna hear the story, mama?"

Gabby rolled her eyes. "Our brother and sister think they're too cool for bedtime stories, that they're too big for them. It's their loss though, right?"

"Right!" The tiny redhead nodded and grinned.

"Alright, I'm ready to start. Are all three of you ready?"

The trio answered in unison. "Ready!"

"Once upon a time, in a land far, far away lived a beautiful princess. Let's call her Princess Bianca."

"That's mommy's name!"

Gabby giggled. "This is gonna be good."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Seriously?"

"Hey, it's my story so I pick the names, and let's watch the comments from the peanut gallery." Marissa smirked. "Princess Bianca was beautiful. She had long, silky brown hair with the perfect amount of curl, warm chocolate eyes that anyone looking into them could get lost in and a smile that could take your breath away, but that wasn't what made her so beautiful. What made her so beautiful was her heart. She had the kindest of hearts. She was very thoughtful and always had a kind word for everyone. The princess would help all who needed it. The subjects of her kingdom loved her and were devoted to her and her mother Queen Erica."

"That's g-ma!"

Gabby snickered at the nickname given to her grandmother by the youngest family member. Erica had been shocked when she was first called that by the tiny redhead, but like the others in their family, she quickly fell victim to the youngest Tasker-Montgomery's charm and permitted it. The others soon took advantage of Erica having her defenses down and adopted the nickname. Gabby also snickered at the description of the princess and her mother's reaction to it. "Funny how much she sounds just like mom."

Bianca just shook her head and blushed seeing the way Marissa looked at her. Even after all these years together, Marissa still gave her butterflies and made her heart race.

"You're right, monkey. She sounds exactly like your mom. Funny how that works out, huh? I guess your mom inspires me."

"I hope there will there be a Princess Marissa in this story. Will there?" Bianca asked unable to stop the goofy grin from appearing, the one that still made Marissa's heart skip a beat.

"All in good time, B, all in good time." Marissa smirked. "Now during this time, there was an evil queen in a nearby kingdom. Let's call her …"

"Let's call her Tammy. I can't think of a better name for an evil queen." Bianca was the sort of person who got along with almost everyone. Tammy was the exception. The woman's attitude had not changed much after all these years. She was still spewing hate every chance she got. Thankfully, her daughter Amber's attitude had changed. It had changed so much that she had actually become friends with AJ and Miranda. The Tasker-Montgomery home became a safe haven for the girl when her mother's hate filled words became too much for her.

Marissa bit back a laugh at the expression on Bianca's face. She cocked her head when she heard soft laughter coming from the hallway. "You two might as well come in, join us and make yourselves comfortable."

AJ and Miranda poked their heads into the room having been busted for eavesdropping.

Miranda smirked. "I don't think there's enough room on the bed."

The youngest member of the family piped up. "We can camp out on the floor!"

"That is an excellent idea, sweetie! Everyone meet back in the family room in ten minutes with your pajamas on along with a blanket and pillow." Bianca smiled as she spurred her family into action.


	2. Gathering The Family

**A/N: Wow! Thank you all for that response! I guess I just have to keep writing this story then, huh? Seriously, thank you, and I'll do my best for you all and keep this as entertaining as I can. Yep, I'm keeping the sex of the youngest a secret on purpose. I can't give too much away from Things Change, now can I? Feel free to guess though. I'm still mulling over names for him or her. I have the middle name figured out but not the first. I do have a nickname for them in here though which was given to them by Kendall. Who better than her to think of one? Speaking of which, Kendall and Greenlee will be making an appearance in a later chapter here. I'm not saying what their roles are, but I hope you'll like what I have in mind for them. The story telling continues, and once again, the fluffiness abounds. Okay, time to go and work on my other story. Hope you enjoy! **

**/ **

"That is an excellent idea, sweetie! Everyone meet back in the family room in ten minutes with your pajamas on along with a blanket and pillow." Bianca smiled as she spurred her family into action.

Gabby, who was already in her pajamas, quickly ran back to her room to retrieve her blanket, pillow and stuffed monkey Minx who by now was well loved having needed mending several times over the years. Offers had been made by a number of family members to replace it with a newer version, but she steadfastly refused them all. To her, Minx could never be replaced. After she had gathered her things, Gabby raced downstairs and was the first to reach the family room.

AJ and Miranda looked at each other before they both shrugged, silently agreeing to give up the pretense for a night and enjoy the 'Marissa original' bedtime story being told. They grinned and darted into their rooms to change and grab blankets and pillows and headed downstairs.

Marissa headed to the master bedroom to change first while Bianca gathered the necessary supplies for their youngest which included the stuffed baby tiger Bianca had found on a weekend getaway to New York with Marissa. Once all of that was done, mother and child headed to the family room, and Bianca began preparing the family's makeshift camp. After Marissa had finished changing, she grabbed blankets and pillows for both Bianca and herself along with a few extras. When she got to the family room, she took over for Bianca so she could change.

Exactly ten minutes later from when Bianca had issued her directive, everyone was settled in the family room with a fire roaring in the fireplace to make it even cozier on this mid-winter's night. The youngest family member was nestled in between both mothers. Gabby had relinquished the prized spot two years earlier. She had been reluctant at first, but after talking with AJ and Miranda, she had done so with minimal grumbling. They had assured her that their mothers didn't love her any less because of their youngest sibling or whether or not she sat in between them. They also pointed out that a big brother or sister did things like this, made minor concessions, from time to time for the younger ones. She realized they had done this for her so now it was her turn. A brief conversation with her mothers confirmed everything AJ and Miranda had told her as well. Tonight, Gabby positioned herself on Marissa's right side and snuggled in next to her along with Minx the monkey.

Marissa turned to their oldest children. "So, do you know about Princess Bianca?"

"Yep, we heard that part. I agree with Gabby. She sounds a heck of a lot like mom." Miranda teased.

Marissa shrugged. "Like I told your sister, your mom simply inspires me. Okay, so where was I then?"

AJ laughed. "You were just telling us about Evil Queen Tammy."

Miranda snorted. "I'm with mom. I can't think of a better name for an evil queen." Miranda and AJ knew the woman all too well. They had heard the comments she made under her breath about their mothers at various school functions, and they were always made under her breath. If someone called her out on any of her muttered comments, she would always lie and cover up what she said. The siblings knew why she did that. It was because she didn't have the courage to take on either of their mothers face to face again. They did feel sorry for Amber for having to deal with her. She had truly changed over the years and had become a friend. She always loved coming over to their home whenever things got too bad at her house. Amber would often remark how nice it was to be around parents that not only loved each other but respected each other as well, and she enjoyed being around a family that got along and liked each other. She had tried to change her mom's attitude to no avail.

Marissa chuckled. "Okay, that works for me. During this time, Evil Queen Tammy ruled in a nearby kingdom. As kind and thoughtful as Princess Bianca was, Queen Tammy was cruel and thoughtless."

"What's that mean, mama?"

AJ grinned at the youngest family member and answered for Marissa. "It means she was a big old meanie and not nice to anyone."

"Yep, she's nothing like the moms at all, Sparky." Miranda grinned using the nickname that Aunt Kendall had bestowed upon the mirror image of Marissa once the youngster started talking and questioning everything and everyone, saying they were both spark plugs.

The youngest member of the family scrunched their face mulling over the explanations before grinning in acceptance. "Mommy and mama are the bestest!"

"I'm with you, Sparky. They are pretty great." Gabby offered with a grin.

Bianca sighed. She wasn't exactly thrilled with the nickname for her youngest, but like with all of the other nicknames Kendall had come up with, this one had stuck and been adopted by pretty much every family member and friend.

"Evil Queen Tammy …"

"Boo!" AJ and Miranda snarked.

"Did not like Princess Bianca at all."

"Why, mama?"

"She didn't like her because the princess was everything she wasn't and because everyone loved the princess very much. There was also one other reason. The Evil Queen …"

"Boo!" Gabby joined her older siblings.

"Thought the princess had stolen her happy ending. You see, the princess had helped Queen Erica find her true love with King Jackson."

"Uncle Jackie!"

Marissa smiled at her youngest who again was the first to call Jackson Montgomery 'Uncle Jackie' with the others following suit from time to time. "That's right, Uncle Jackie." She paused before looking around at the three oldest children knowing what would come next. "The Evil Queen …"

"Boo!"

Marissa chuckled when both Bianca and their youngest joined the other three in booing the mere mention of the character. "Seriously? I guess this is going to happen every time, huh?"

Her answer came in the form of laughter and mischievous grins.

"Okay. She was in love with King Jackson, but the king would only ever love one person."

"Queen Erica!" Gabby jumped in.

"That's right, monkey, and the princess knew this just as she knew her mother was in love with the king. Princess Bianca helped them see this, and trust me, that took a lot of work because the king and queen were proud and stubborn people and neither wanted to give up their independence."

"You can say that again." Bianca smirked.

"If anyone was up to the task, it was Princess Bianca. She was able to help them realize they were each other's true, and that was very important. You see, there is nothing more powerful or magical then true love. Once the king and queen finally realized they had indeed found their true love, they decided to get married and had a huge wedding and celebration. The entire kingdom of the Valley of the Pines attended and toasted to their happiness and feasted on the finest of foods." Marissa saw confusion furrowing the brow of her youngest. "Basically, they partied like nobody's business for several days." She was rewarded with a huge grin from the smaller redhead.

"That's pretty much how I remember g-ma and Uncle Jackie's wedding." Miranda grinned.

"Valley of the Pines?" AJ asked with a smirk.

"Watch it, buddy. I'm winging it here so give me a break."

AJ chuckled at the playful tone in his mom's voice and held his hands up in mock surrender. "Sorry. The Kingdom of the Valley of the Pines it is."

"While Princess Bianca was happy for her mother and the king, she was a little sad because she wished for a true love of her own. Over the years, there had been many who tried to lay claim to the heart of the princess. They disguised themselves and claimed to be her true love, but they were merely pretenders. These pretenders, it turns out, had been sent by the Evil Queen." Marissa paused while the others booed. "She had hoped to hurt the princess and crush any dream she had of finding her true love."

"AJ's right. She's a big old meanie!" The four year old added.

"Yes, she is, but she, like many others, had underestimated the princess and the strength of her heart and belief in finding true love. Princess Bianca knew if she just believed, she would one day find her true love and her own happy ending." Marissa stole a quick glance at Bianca and saw the goofy grin she loved and knew so well. What had started out and had been intended as a quick glance turned into a loving gaze lasting for far longer. It was interrupted by Miranda and AJ clearing their throats. The couple turned to see the amused looks on their oldest children's faces and laughed at being busted by them yet again.

"Geez, I would've guessed that the two of you would've stopped doing that after all this time." Miranda kidded. Even though she and AJ loved to tease their mothers, the birthday twins loved even more the fact of just how evident it was that the two loved each other and that love had only deepened over the years.

"Well, Mimo, I have to tell you that you guessed wrong, and I'm also happy to tell you that it's never going to stop." Bianca smiled and gave a quick kiss to Marissa. "I do hope we're getting to the part where Princess Marissa comes into the story."

Marissa sighed happily and continued. "You'll have to wait and see, and I never said there was a 'Princess Marissa'. The story needs a few characters that aren't royalty after all."

Bianca started to protest, but Marissa cut her off, grinning. "All in good time, B. Now about this time, the Evil Queen …"

"Boo!"

Marissa laughed and rolled her eyes. "Had been trying her very best to cause trouble for Queen Erica and King Jackson every chance she could get. They decided they needed a little help so they sent out a request to the kingdoms that they were friendly with. A week later, their request was answered when a mysterious visitor arrived. This visitor had been sent from the kingdom of Devonshire and …"

"Mama?"

"What is it, sweetie?"

"I gotta go potty."

Bianca started to get up. "I'll go."

The smaller redhead shook their head. "I want mama to take me, mommy."

Marissa started to question why when she saw the look in the eyes of her youngest. It was one she knew all too well. "Oh, I get it."

"What's going on, Rissa?"

"If I go, that means the story will stop and somebody won't miss anything, right?"

The four year old grinned. "Uh huh!"

The others laughed and saw the logic behind the child's request.

"You know, I would never continue the story without you."

The younger redhead nodded.

"Good. Now, let's go." Marissa stood followed by her youngest. The two headed to the bathroom hand in hand. Marissa turned to the rest of the family. "We'll be back."

Bianca watched as the two redheads walked down the hallway. Once they were out of sight, she turned to the three oldest children. "Devonshire, huh? Okay guys, I have an idea."


	3. The Story Continues

**A/N: Back again! Thanks, as always, for the reviews. I love those notices I get when a review comes in so keep 'em coming! As I was writing this chapter and thinking about where I wanted to go with this, I realized that there was another inspiration behind this tale, "The Princess Bride". You see, the more I thought and wrote, the more I realized this was becoming a story within a story, kind of like "The Princess Bride". So, expect something along those lines in the telling of the bedtime story next update. The story continues. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Bianca grinned watching the reactions of her oldest children to her plan.

Miranda was the first one to speak. "You know that you're talking about high-jacking Ma's story, Mom, right?"

"Not the whole thing, only part of it. I just want the character of the mysterious visitor from Devonshire to accurately represent Rissa. You know as well as I do that she'll downplay some of her best qualities."

AJ nodded. "Mom's right. That's exactly what she'll do."

"You don't think she'll get mad, do you?" Gabby asked.

"She may act like it a little bit, but she won't really be mad." Bianca assured her daughter.

"Okay, if you're sure, I'm in." Gabby grinned.

"What the heck. I'm in too." Miranda smirked.

"That's makes three of us, Mom. Let's do it."

Bianca grinned. "I knew I could count on you guys. Okay, she's coming."

"When will we know to jump in?" Gabby asked.

"Don't worry. Mom will let us know. Just follow her lead."

The three kids quickly retook their previous spots as their redheaded mother came into view.

The four year old scampered back to their vacated spot next to Bianca and snuggled back in.

"How'd everything go?"

Marissa smiled and gave a thumbs up. "Everything went great." She glanced around at the rest of her family. She could tell something was up with them and was just about to question them when she caught a glimpse of something outside. "Look guys, it's snowing."

The kids dashed to the windows.

"Do you think we'll have school tomorrow?" Gabby asked hoping the answer would be 'no' and that a snow day would be called. It wasn't that she didn't like school because she did, but a snow day was every kid's dream.

Bianca scooped up her youngest child and joined the rest of her family by the bay window that dominated the family room. She chuckled at Gabby's hopeful expression. "I think it's a little too early for them to cancel school, sweetie. It's only a few snowflakes."

AJ and Miranda couldn't hide their disappointment along with Gabby. Their minds had already raced ahead to all of the possible activities they could do during a snow day and a long weekend.

The four year old liked watching the snow and loved playing in it. Even more than that though, they loved Marissa's stories. "Mama, what about the visitor?"

Marissa looked at her youngest for a second before realizing they were asking about the latest character added to the story. "Oh, you mean the mysterious visitor from Devonshire?"

"Uh huh! Who is it? Are they good? Will they help the princess and protect her from the evil queen? Will they …"

Bianca laughed. "I think you better get back to the story. Somebody's very anxious to hear more."

"I think you're right. Okay gang, back to the story." Marissa smiled.

The family gathered back under their blankets with the four year old now on Bianca's lap which allowed Marissa to slide next to the brunette.

"The kingdom of Devonshire was ruled by King Jesse and Queen Angie. They were kind, generous and wise rulers and strong allies of King Jackson and Queen Erica. When they received the request for help, they summoned one of their advisors to them. They charged her to travel to the Kingdom of the Valley of the Pines and find out what help was needed by their friends. Once she knew this, she was to send word back to them and remain there to offer whatever help she could until King Jesse and Queen Angie could send additional help. It was very important that she keep her mission secret so she was told not to let anyone know who she was, what she was doing or who sent her until she talked to King Jackson and Queen Erica. To get to their kingdom, she would have to travel through the Evil Queen's kingdom. She wouldn't be travelling there alone though. Her good friend and trusted knight, Sir Scott, would be going with her. After speaking with the king and queen, the pair headed out immediately."

"What's her name, Mama?"

"We got this." Bianca jumped in before Marissa could answer. She had been counting on her youngest to ask this question, and they didn't let her down.

"_We_ do, huh?" Marissa raised an eyebrow seeing the mischievous glint in Bianca's and the older children's eyes. She knew this was what they had been planning.

"Oh yeah, we do. Her name was Marissa."

The four year old grinned. "That's Mama!"

"That sure is, Sparky." Miranda took over for her mother. "Her official title was Royal Counselor, and she was very smart, very clever. You couldn't get anything by her. A lot of people tried, but it couldn't be done. She was just too smart for them, but she wasn't the kind of person that acted like she was."

"She also had a heart that matched that of Princess Bianca. She was always helping others. If there was someone in need, she would be there for them, no matter what." AJ smiled at his redheaded mother.

Gabby smiled and took over. "She was very brave too. She wasn't afraid to take someone on if they were treating somebody else bad. As tough as she was, she was even nicer, and she really listened to others."

"I think that's her best quality. Because she listened, she could truly understand and help others. She always had a way of knowing exactly the right thing to say to make you feel better." Miranda added with a smile.

Marissa took a shaky breath and smiled, meeting the gaze of each of her older children.

Bianca saw the emotion in those hazel eyes she would never get tired of getting lost in. "Would you like to know what she looked like, sweetie?"

"Uh huh, I sure would!"

"She had long red hair that was as soft as silk and hazel eyes that could see into right into someone's soul. She had a laugh was like music, and when she sang, her voice was so beautiful. It was almost as beautiful as her smile which could light up a room."

Marissa was grinning like the love-stuck woman she always was whenever she looked at Bianca.

"She sounds an awful lot like you, Mama."

"Thank you, sweetie, but I think your mom, brother and sisters are going a little overboard on her description."

"Actually, we're not doing her enough justice." Bianca smiled.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "So, Marissa and Sir Scott headed out on horseback to the Kingdom of the Valley of the Pines." She stopped when she heard AJ and Miranda snicker. She knew they were remembering a family outing when they went horseback riding for the first time, during which Marissa had been thrown by her horse. She got back on, but had continued to struggle controlling the horse the rest of the day. It kept wanting to go the opposite direction of where she wanted it to go. Since that time and with Bianca's help, she had gotten better. "I'll have you know that by this time she had gotten much better at riding a horse."

Bianca nudged Marissa and winked. "Yes, she had. She'd actually gotten quite good."

"Thank you!" The redhead shot a playful glare at her two oldest before continuing. "So, Marissa and Sir Scott headed out. The pair was careful to be on the lookout for the Evil Queen because word had reached them that she knew something was up. At this same time, Princess Bianca decided to survey part of the kingdom for her mother as well as meet with the villagers. The princess liked getting out of the palace and being among the people. It showed them that she truly cared about them. Queen Erica did not want her daughter to venture out on her own though. She didn't feel it was safe with all of the threats the Evil Queen had been making and wanted to send several guards with her to keep her daughter safe. Princess Bianca didn't like that and wanted to go out on her own. You see, she was very brave and felt she could handle any threat that happened to come her way. The mother and daughter finally compromised, and their most trusted and loyal knight escorted her. His name was Sir Zachary."

"Uncle Zach! He's very brave, Mama."

"Yes, he is and very loyal. They knew if he went with the princess that she would be very safe. Princess Bianca and Sir Zachary set out to visit the people of their kingdom."

"Where's Aunt K?" The four year old asked. Aunt Kendall just had to be part of the story.

"I'm just getting to that. Do you remember who a fairy godmother is?"

"Uh huh, they're a good person who looks after other people and helps them. They got wings and can fly and they got a magic wand!"

"Exactly. Sometimes, you have one and don't even know it because you can't see them. This was the case with Princess Bianca. Her fairy godmother was named …"

"Kendall!" Everyone chimed in at the same time and laughed at the image of Kendall with wings.

"Yep! She was very wise and very protective of the princess. She was the reason some of those pretenders were exposed."

"Did Marissa have a fairy godmother, Ma?" Gabby asked.

"I think she should. It's only fair." Miranda added.

"As a matter fact, she did. Where Kendall was tall with long curly hair, Marissa's fairy godmother was shorter with short straight hair. Her name was …"

"Greenlee!" The only thing funnier to the family than Kendall with wings was the image of Greenlee with them, flitting about.

"Now, Marissa had never seen her fairy godmother, but Greenlee had helped her a number of times just like Kendall had helped the princess, and Marissa, just like Princess Bianca, had not been lucky in finding her true love. The fact that both women had not found their true loves bothered both fairy godmothers quite a lot, and they searched high and low for them for their charges. While on one of these searches, the two fairy godmothers crossed paths and started talking. They agreed to switch places and observe the other's charge. They would meet up again in a week's time. When they met the second time, Greenlee had come to the decision that Princess Bianca just might be Marissa's true love. Kendall agreed that Marissa just might be Princess Bianca's too. Now, they had to figure out a way for the two women to meet."

AJ grinned. "That sounds just like Aunt Kendall and Greenlee. I'm thinking that could be a piece of cake for them." The women had helped his family countless times over the years, and his mothers happily did the same for them.

"The fairy godmothers stayed in touch. When Greenlee found out that Marissa was headed to Princess Bianca's kingdom, she informed Kendall right away. They knew this was the moment they'd been waiting for. Kendall arranged for the route the princess would normally take to visit the villagers to be blocked. This put her on the same road as Marissa. The Evil Queen had been keeping a close watch on Marissa's progress, and even though she didn't know exactly who the woman was or what she was doing, the Evil Queen decided she couldn't take a chance and let her make it to the Kingdom of the Valley of the Pines."

Marissa turned her head slowly making sure she had everyone's attention for what would happen next. She smiled inwardly, knowing she had definitely learned the art of storytelling from her dad.

"She was able to turn herself into a wolf and waited on the edge of the forest. She finally made her move when she saw the friends coming her way. She pounced and knocked Sir Scott off of his horse. This spooked Marissa's horse and caused him to take off out of control and into the forest. Marissa held onto his reins as tight as she could, hoping her horse would soon slow down. The wolf turned back into the Evil Queen, and she cackled seeing the trouble she caused. She hurried back to her castle though so no one would know what she did. Kendall and Greenlee saw what happened though and sprang into action. Greenlee flew ahead of Marissa and cleared the path of any rocks and fallen branches so the horse wouldn't trip on anything and throw Marissa. After she did that, she flew next to the horse and whispered to him to calm him down. While she did that, Kendall went to block the path the princess was now on. This caused her to make a small detour into the forest. As soon as they were in the forest, Sir Zachary spotted Sir Scott on the ground and jumped off his horse to help the fallen man. That's when Princess Bianca heard a woman's cry for help. She told Sir Zachary to stay and help the injured man while she raced off in the direction of the woman's voice. Princess Bianca was the best rider in the land and caught up with Marissa in no time. She grabbed the reins and slowed the horse down. When the horse finally stopped, the two women turned to look at each other. The moment their eyes met, the whole world seemed to come to a stop."

Out of the corner of her eye, Marissa saw her youngest yawn and could see their eyes starting to droop.

Bianca saw the same thing. "I think that's a good place to stop for tonight."

"I wanna hear the rest of the story, Mommy."

"And you will, just not tonight. You know your Mama won't finish it without you. She'll finish it up tomorrow. For now, it's past your bedtime, and it's now time for Gabby to go to bed too."

Gabby started to protest still hoping school would be cancelled tomorrow if the snow falling outside would only pick up its pace. Besides, the story was starting to get really good now that the women had met. When she saw the expressions on both of her moms' faces though, she stopped herself. Instead, she focused on the fact that tomorrow night's story would be a continuation of this one. She gave Bianca a kiss goodnight, grabbed her things and headed towards her bedroom. She knew Marissa would be right behind her after saying goodnight to her younger sibling.

Marissa gave her youngest a kiss. "Good night, sweetie. I love you."

"Love you too, Mama." The four year old mumbled, quickly losing the battle with the sandman.

Marissa turned to AJ and Miranda and smiled. "Good night, you two. I'll see you both tomorrow, and whatever Bianca says, goes double for me."

The older kids grinned and nodded. "Good night, Ma."

The redhead grabbed the blanket and pillow for Bianca and dropped them off in their youngest child's room before going into Gabby's.

Bianca looked at the oldest children and whispered. "You've got another hour, okay?"

"Okay, Mom." They watched as she headed upstairs.

Miranda looked at AJ. She had an idea of a great anniversary present for their mothers and could really use her brother's help. "Hey, AJ, I've got a great idea for the moms. You interested in helping?"

AJ grinned. His sister always had the best ideas. "You know I am. What is it?"

"Not here. Let's go to my room."

He nodded and followed his sister upstairs.

/

Bianca stopped in the doorway of the master bedroom. Marissa was sitting on the window seat of the bay window and gazing out at the small pond and the woods behind their home. Watching her sitting there in the moonlight with the snow falling outside, Bianca was struck yet again by how breathtaking the redhead was. After moving into their home, that spot became Marissa's favorite. She would sit there and read or do some work. If any of the kids were sick or scared by either a bad dream or a thunderstorm, she would sit there with them and sing to them for as long as they needed. When she was expecting, Marissa would sit in that spot talking or singing to their unborn child. Bianca thought back to when Marissa was expecting. She didn't think it was possible for the redhead to be any more beautiful than she already was, but she was wrong. Marissa absolutely glowed and took Bianca's breath away every time she saw her.

"You're staring. You weren't kidding when you said that was a bad habit you were getting."

Bianca grinned. "I told you it was, and I just can't seem to break it. Of course, I haven't tried and don't ever plan to."

Marissa flashed a brilliant smile. "I think I need you over here."

Bianca closed the door and crossed the room. She slid in behind Marissa and wrapped her arms around the redhead pulling her close.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Marissa asked.

"You certainly are."

Marissa chuckled. "I was talking about the snow."

"Oh, I guess it is, but not nearly as beautiful as you." Bianca grinned.

"You're impossible sometimes, you know that?"

"Only when it comes to you."

Marissa hummed contently as soft lips brushed her cheek. "I think Gabby might just get her wish tomorrow. The snow's really picked up."

"I'm glad we went to the store the other day then. We're all set in case we get snowed in. Is it bad if I hope that we are?"

"I don't think so. I hope we are too. I love snow days and spending them with you and the kids."

Bianca grinned. "So, do I get to hear what happens when the princess meets the royal counselor?"

Marissa turned and gazed into warm chocolate eyes and shook her head. Her lips brushing Bianca's. "No, I'm not going to tell you." She then grinned wickedly. "I'm going to show you."


	4. Snow Day

**A/N: First things first. As always, thank you for the great reviews! I really appreciate them and all of you! I hope you're all enjoying reading this little glimpse into the future of the Tasker-Montgomery family as much as I am writing it. This chapter takes a little detour from the storytelling. I couldn't help myself when I started writing about the snow. I'll pick up the story within a story next chapter, or actually, Marissa will. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/ **

Bianca rolled gently away from Marissa and blindly grabbed for the ringing phone on the nightstand on her side of the bed, answering without bothering to look at the caller id.

"Hello." When there was no answer, she croaked again. "Hello." Finally, there was a response. It was the automated recording from the school district informing her that all schools were closed. Bianca squinted at the alarm clock to check the time, 4:45 AM. She groaned softly and rolled over to snuggle with Marissa.

"Who was that?" The redhead asked groggily.

"It was the school. Looks like Gabby got her wish. School's cancelled."

"Yay." Marissa muttered softly. After another moment, she started to get up.

"Where are you going?"

"AJ and Miranda have their own alarm clocks now, remember? They made a big deal about having them, saying they were responsible enough, even though we still have to make sure they don't wear out the snooze button. I'm going to go turn them off. There's no sense in them going off in a little while if they don't need to get up."

"You're right, but I'll go. Stay here and go back to sleep." Bianca got up, grabbed her robe and padded out of the bedroom. She decided that she would be staying home with the kids today since Marissa had court. The kids could keep each other occupied while she did some work in the home office she and Marissa shared.

/

"I thought you were going to back to sleep?" Bianca asked when she re-entered their bedroom and found Marissa sitting up in bed with a lamp and her laptop both on.

"You know that I really don't sleep well without you here beside me." Marissa grinned.

Bianca chuckled and crossed the room. "I was only gone for a few minutes. Everyone's all snug in their beds and sound asleep. I'll work from home today since I know you've got court."

Marissa closed her laptop. "About that, did you happen to look outside?"

"No, I didn't. Why?"

"I really think you should take a look."

Bianca headed over to the window and looked outside. "Wow, the snow really picked up. It looks like a winter wonderland out there, and it's still falling."

"It should. According to Channel 12's website, about 18 inches have fallen so far with about another 5 inches expected. The city and county have both declared level 3 snow emergencies. Unless it's an emergency, they don't want anyone out on the roads. So, the courts have been closed along with the schools and pretty much everything else which means …"

"We get a snow day too!" Bianca grinned as she walked back to their bed.

Marissa laughed seeing the excitement in Bianca's eyes. Snow managed to bring out the little kid in pretty much everyone, especially if you didn't have to drive in it. "Yep, we're not going anywhere for at least a day."

"You know, it means something else too." A wicked grin began to form across Bianca's face.

Seeing the gleam in the brunette's eyes, Marissa knew exactly what it meant, and all of a sudden, she felt wide awake and extremely thankful that all of their children loved sleeping in. "It means that you need to get back in bed because you look awfully cold."

"Do you think you can warm me up?" Bianca smiled as she removed her robe and happily obliged the redhead by joining her back in their bed.

"You know that I'll try my very best." Marissa leaned in with a loving kiss that quickly deepened with Bianca gently pushing the redhead backwards on the bed.

/

A few hours later, there was an excited knock on their bedroom door.

Marissa raised her head slightly off of Bianca's shoulder and both women opened their eyes, smiling as their gaze met. They sighed when the knocking began again. "Come in, Gabby."

Their daughter burst into the room. "Mom! Ma! Did you see how much snow we got last night? They said on TV that school's closed today!"

Marissa chuckled. "We know, Monkey. Do you want to know something else?"

"What?"

"Everything else is closed too."

Gabby grinned. "You mean you and Mom don't have to go into work?"

Bianca shook her head and smiled. "Nope, we don't. They don't want anyone out of the roads if they don't have to be. We're snowed in."

"Yay! This is gonna be so much fun! I'm gonna go tell everybody else!"

"Where's …"

"Don't worry, Mom. Miranda, AJ and Sparky are watching TV." With that said, Gabby raced out of the bedroom.

Bianca sighed. "I guess we better get up."

"As much as I hate to admit it, we should. I need to make a couple of calls before we can go play in the snow." Marissa grinned.

"I need to check in with the Center myself and make sure everything's okay there. I'll do that after breakfast though. You make your calls, and I'll get breakfast started. I'm thinking chocolate chip pancakes."

"I like how you think. I'll be in to help in a few minutes."

/

Marissa was welcomed into the kitchen by the smell of bacon and the sight of Bianca mixing batter for pancakes. The redhead came up behind Bianca and wrapped her arms around the woman who captured her heart years ago and placed a soft kiss on her neck. "Good morning, beautiful!"

Bianca hummed happily. "Good morning, yourself. Didn't we just say good morning a few minutes ago?"

"Nope, we didn't get the chance, and I couldn't let our day really begin without doing it properly."

Bianca laughed and placed the bowl containing the batter on the counter before turning to face the smiling redhead. She still found Marissa absolutely captivating and would never get enough of her. "You're right. We can't let the day start without a proper good morning." She leaned in for a lingering kiss.

"You guys aren't ever going to stop that, are you?" AJ smirked.

"Stop what?" Marissa smiled and asked her son.

"Getting all starry eyed and getting those big goofy grins you get around each other." The teen teased.

"Nope! Afraid not, Buddy. You have a problem with that?" Bianca questioned clearly amused by her son.

AJ released an exaggerated sigh and rolled his eyes. "I guess it's alright. Ooh, chocolate chip pancakes and bacon!"

Marissa laughed at how easily he was distracted by the thought of food. "Yes, we figured we could all use a big breakfast before hitting the snow."

"Cool. Oh, I came to get Sparky some milk."

Bianca filled up a sippy cup for her youngest child and handed it to AJ. "Here you go. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

AJ nodded and padded back to the family room.

Marissa picked up the batter and began to add chocolate chips. "I'll finish this up so you can make your call to the Center."

"Thank you." Bianca gave her a quick kiss and headed back to their home office to make her call.

/

Miranda poked her head into the kitchen. "Need any help, Ma?"

"If you wouldn't mind setting the table, I would really appreciate it. Thanks."

"No problem." Miranda grabbed the placemats and began setting the table. "There's a rumor going around the family room that everyone has the day off."

Marissa laughed. "That rumor would be true. Your mom's just checking in with the Center. As for me, I was going to be in court today, but they've been closed so my case will have to be rescheduled. So, we're snowed in. What do you think about that?"

"I think it's great. We can test out the new sleds." Miranda grinned.

"Sounds like a plan. Do you think you and AJ could maybe shovel a small path outside after breakfast? There's so much snow that …"

"Sparky won't have much clearance, huh?" Miranda smirked, clearly amused by the image of the youngest family member trudging through the high snow.

Marissa laughed. "Not really. I'm not saying you need to shovel all the way down, just knock a few inches off so walking isn't as much of an issue."

"Sure, AJ and I can take care of it."

"What can we take of?" AJ asked as he joined his mom and sister.

"Ma asked if we could do a little shoveling before everyone goes outside."

"Oh yeah, the snow's almost as tall as Sparky." The blonde chuckled.

"It's not quite that high, but I would appreciate it if you would make it a little more manageable."

AJ snagged a piece of bacon. "Mimo's right. We'll take care of it."

"Thank you. Would you mind getting Gabby and …"

"Is breakfast almost ready?" Gabby asked as the two youngest family members entered the kitchen.

Marissa nodded. "It is. Have a seat, and I'll go get your Mom."

"No need. I'm here. Sorry, it took me a little longer than I thought it would."

Everyone took their seats and started to dig in. As breakfast continued, the family planned their outdoor activities for the day.

/

"Hurry up, Mama. I wanna go outside and play."

"Well if I could find your other mitten, we could go. I thought your Mom and I told you that you're supposed to keep them with your coat, Sweetie. You don't remember where you saw it last?"

The four year old scrunched their face, tried to think and shrugged.

Marissa couldn't help but laugh at the expression on her youngest child's face. The phone rang, and she smiled seeing her sister-in-law's name appear on the caller id. "You keep thinking while I answer the phone. Hi, Kendall. What's up?"

"Hey, Red. I'm just checking to see how everyone's doing."

"We're doing great and getting ready to head outside if I could find someone's missing mitten. How are the Slaters?"

"Getting ready to go outside ourselves. Spike and Ian along with my biggest kid are chomping at the bit to get out there."

"Mama, I mighta had it in my room."

"Had what, Sweetie? Oh, your mitten. Okay, I'll go look. You stay here and talk to your Aunt Kendall. You don't you mind keeping someone occupied while I go track down the wayward mitten, do you, Curly?"

"Not at all."

The little redhead grinned and took the phone from Marissa. "Hi, Aunt K!"

"Hey, Sparky! Are you excited about the snow?"

"Uh huh! We're gonna build a snowman and ride our sleds and have a snowball fight!"

Kendall laughed. "Sounds like you have a fun day planned. What else are you going to do?"

"Mama's gonna finish up her story later."

"She is, huh? What story is she reading you? You all have a lot of good stories there to choose from."

"It's not one of them. It's one she's makin' up. Mommy called it a Marissa orange."

Kendall laughed. "You mean it's a Marissa original, Sparky."

"Yeah, that's it!"

"What's it about?"

"Mommy's a princess and Mama's a royal couns …"

"A royal counselor?"

"Yeah! G-ma's a queen, and Uncle Jackie's a king. Uncle Zach and Scott are knights."

"They are, huh?"

"Yep! You and Greenlee are in it too."

"We are? What are we?"

"You're Mommy and Mama's fairy godmothers! You got wings and can fly! There's an Evil Queen. I don't like her."

"There is? What's the Evil Queen's name?"

"Her name's Tammy. Everybody seemed to think that was a really good name."

Kendall was laughing so hard she snorted. "Everybody's right."

"Found it!" Marissa said as she entered the kitchen. "Say goodbye to Aunt Kendall so I can get you bundled up."

"Bye, Aunt K!"

"Bye, Sparky." Kendall waited until Marissa was back on the line. "So, fairy godmothers?"

"Ah, I see someone's been telling you about the story."

"Yeah, they have. You couldn't have made us something else or at least me something else? I really don't see myself as the fairy godmother type. I don't know that I could do wings. Greenlee, on the other hand, I gotta say that's a heck of a visual."

"We all thought so. And you're wrong about the fairy godmother thing. I could probably point out a number of times that you acted like one."

"Hmmm. I have to say that naming the Evil Queen Tammy was inspired. I couldn't think of a better name." Kendall chuckled.

"I can't take credit for that. It was all your sister's idea. I couldn't agree with her more."

"Where exactly is this story going?"

"I'm not really sure. I'm kind of making it up as I go along."

"Mama, let's go."

"Sorry, Kendall. I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, Red, but I'll be calling back to hear more about this story."

The pair hung up. Marissa bundled up her little one, and they headed outside.

/

"What is it with you hitting me in the face with snowballs?" Marissa smirked.

Bianca laughed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you, but Miranda ducked just as you walked outside. I ended up getting you instead. Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"I'm sure I can think of something." Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

"That was really fun, AJ!"

The blonde teen grinned as he carried his youngest sibling inside. "It sure was, Sparky. The moms love a good snowball fight. I'm not sure why exactly, but they do."

The two women shared a smile at the memory of a snowball fight years before, one that cemented their friendship and sparked something that neither would acknowledge for quite some time.

/

"_Did you seriously just throw a snowball at me?"_

"_Oh yeah. Felt good. You should try it." Marissa smirked as she walked away._

_Bianca dusted herself off. "Are you kidding right now?"_

"_No, I'm not kidding you. No one's around right now." Marissa laughed. "You can scream. Scream right now." The redhead threw another snowball._

_Bianca slowly removed her purse and walked over to a pile of snow. "I have never really been much of a screamer."_

"_No?" Marissa asked as she started to look for cover._

"_But I have been told that I have pretty good aim." The brunette dropped her purse, grabbed a handful of snow and threw it, hitting Marissa in the face._

_The pair busted out laughing._

"_You are so dead now! You got me in the face!"_

_Snow started flying between the giggling pair until Bianca surrendered and collapsed on the ground with Marissa joining her._

"_I can't believe you got me in the face!"_

"_Sorry, but wow. God, that felt good!"_

"_Always trust your lawyer, right?" Marissa smiled as she looked at Bianca._

"_We will win, won't we?"_

"_Oh yeah, we'll win. I promise."_

/

The couple jolted back to the present, having gotten lost in each other's eyes yet again.

"If you ask me, I think we built the best snowman ever." Miranda grinned.

Gabby nodded. "I think so too. It's definitely the biggest."

"You're both right. So, who's up for lunch? How's grilled cheese and tomato soup sound?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, go warm up, and I'll call you when it's ready."

Marissa took her youngest from AJ. "Come on, Sweetie. Let's get you out of these wet clothes."

/

After lunch, Bianca put the four year old down for a nap. While the other three kids disappeared into Miranda's room.

"What do you think the three of them are up to?" Marissa asked when Bianca joined her on the sofa in the family room.

"I'm not sure, but it started with AJ and Miranda last night, and they pulled Gabby into it today. I have to admit it's a little scary when the three of them put their heads together." Bianca laughed.

Marissa laughed as well. "Very true, but it can be a good scary sometimes. I guess we shouldn't be worried too much."

"No, we shouldn't. So, what did Kendall have to say earlier?"

"She was just checking in. Oh, she knows about the story and her role in it. Someone got excited and told her about it when she called."

"I'm sure she loved being a fairy godmother."

"Yeah, I think she was hoping to be another type of character, but it's what came to mind when I thought of her and Greenlee. They really did come through for us a few times just like a fairy godmother would." Marissa grinned.

"You're right. They really did. If it hadn't been for the nudging and a little good natured scheming, who knows when we would've admitted our feelings. That definitely sounds like a fairy godmother."

/

"So, what'd you think, Gabs? Do you think the moms will like it?"

Gabby listened to her brother and sister explain the idea Miranda had for their mothers' anniversary present. She had to admit that it was a great idea which didn't surprise her. Her older sister was known for coming up with the best ideas, and Gabby was glad she came through again. They had been trying to come up with the perfect gift for a while, but they weren't happy with anything they'd come up with to this point. "I don't know how you come up these ideas, but I think it's awesome and the moms will love it."

"Are you sure? It's not too sappy or anything?"

The three burst out laughing at Miranda's question.

"I can't believe you said that with a straight face, Mimo." AJ smirked.

"You're right. I know Aunt Kendall said she'd take us shopping and help out with any extra money we might need for a present, and G-ma and Krystal were wanting to throw a big party. Heck, it's one of the few things they'll agree on, but that stuff's not them. They like the quiet celebrations and homemade gifts."

"Yeah, I think they still have every card, every picture and every craft we ever gave or made for them. They still have the frames we made for them our first Christmas together. Plus, it deals with each other, and you know how they get when that happens. I walked in on them telling each other _good morning_ in the kitchen this morning." AJ rolled his eyes.

His sisters snorted. Over the years, they had each walked in on the scene AJ had witnessed earlier that day too many times to count. They loved teasing their moms about it just as much as they loved seeing how happy they were in those moments.

Gabby chuckled. "Better you then me. So, I know what AJ's doing and what you're doing, but what'd you need me for?"

AJ grinned. "We need you for your amazing brain and memory, Gabs. I can remember parts of it but not the details."

"He's right. You remember all the details, Gabs. You never forget anything, and we're going to need them to do this thing right. Face it, little sister, you have probably have the most important job. Are you up for it?" Miranda asked.

Gabby grinned. "Count me in. When do you want to start?"

"I think it's better if we start it sooner than later, especially if we want to do it right." Miranda pulled out a few pages. "This is what I have so far. Could you read it and let me know what's missing? AJ's already started working on the artwork."

"Okay, let me see what you got."

/

"Are you making chili, Ma?" Miranda grinned as she walked into the kitchen followed by AJ and Gabby.

"Yes, I am. On a day like today, it seemed like a good idea." Marissa smiled as she stirred the contents in the crock pot.

"I love your chili. Don't tell Grandma Krystal, but I think you improved on her recipe." AJ grinned.

"Ma, we wanted to all go sledding again. Think Sparky may be up soon?"

The four year old bounded into the kitchen. "We're going sledding again? I wanna ride with Mimo! She the bestest on a sled!"

Miranda grinned and scooped up her youngest sibling. "The kid's pretty smart and knows true talent on the sled. You're on, Sparky!"

Bianca laughed. "Sounds like we're going sledding. Everybody bundle up."

/

Sometime later, the family bustled back inside the warm home. Coats, scarves, mittens, gloves, hats and boots were quickly discarded.

"Who's up for some hot chocolate?" Bianca asked as she made her way to the refrigerator to pull out the milk.

"Me!" was her family's resounding answer.

"Mama, when're you gonna tell us more of the story?" The younger redhead asked.

Marissa finished checking on the chili. "Why don't the four of you go into the family room and get comfortable. I'll help your Mom with the hot chocolate. We'll bring it in when it's ready, and I'll start the story back up then."

The kids all nodded and padded into the other room.


	5. Hot Chocolate And A Story

**A/N: As always, thanks for the great reviews! I love them so keep them coming, please! This chapter is a mix of Tasker-Montgomery family action and Marissa's storytelling. For this chapter, the storytelling section is in **_**italics**_** and separated by double / marks. I hope it's not confusing for anyone. Hope you enjoy it!**

**/ **

"Mama, when're you gonna tell us more of the story?" The younger redhead asked.

Marissa finished stirring the chili and placed the lid back on the crockpot. "Why don't the four of you go into the family room and get settled. I'll help your Mom with the hot chocolate. We'll bring it in when it's ready, and I'll start the story back up then."

The kids all nodded and padded into the other room.

While Bianca grabbed a pot for the milk, Marissa pulled out the cocoa and marshmallows from a cabinet. The brunette was distracted by the sight of the exposed skin of the redhead's toned stomach as her t-shirt inched up when she reached into the cabinet. She glanced up when she heard Marissa clear her throat. Warm chocolate eyes met amused hazel ones.

"You keep staring like that and this hot chocolate will never get made." Marissa teased playfully.

Bianca grinned. "I can't help it. It's that darned bad habit of mine. I still can't seem to shake it, even after all this time."

Marissa laughed and gave her a quick kiss. She took then took the empty pot and began carefully measuring the milk and cocoa. Bianca watched as she performed these tasks with her usual precision and recalled the first time she had witnessed her making hot chocolate years before, not long after they had become a couple. It had been a snowy day, not quite like today though, and Bianca and the girls were visiting Marissa and AJ.

/

"_Could you grab the milk out of the fridge for me, Bianca?" Marissa asked as she retrieved a container of cocoa and bag of marshmallows out of a nearby cabinet._

"_You're using milk instead of water?" Bianca was used to the instant mix that only required water._

"_Of course I am. If you want proper hot chocolate, you have to use milk."_

"_Proper hot chocolate? I didn't know there was such a thing." Bianca smirked as she handed her girlfriend the milk._

_Marissa rolled her eyes. "Yes, proper hot chocolate. My mom always made the best hot chocolate, and she passed that recipe on to me. You have to use milk and a specific brand of cocoa."_

"_I see. What about marshmallows?" Bianca leaned against the counter and watched with a mixture of amusement and fascination as Marissa measured everything carefully and mixed the milk and powder as it began to heat on the stove._

"_You have to use the mini ones and not the big ones or the really, really tiny ones. They just take away from the hot chocolate if you use the big ones, and the tiny ones, well they're just not right. The taste and texture is all wrong. Oh, there're a certain number of them that you should use too. Some load up on them, but again, that takes away from the hot chocolate." When it was heated to what she deemed as the perfect temperature, she poured some into a mug and added the marshmallows before handing it to Bianca._

_The brunette took a sip and moaned appreciatively. "Wow, you're right. This really is the best hot chocolate I've ever had."_

_Marissa grinned. "I told you. You're very lucky, you know. I don't share that recipe with just anyone."_

"_You don't, huh?" Bianca grinned as she set down her mug and put her arms around Marissa._

"_Nope, in fact, you're the only one I've ever shared it with. I guess that means I think you're awfully special."_

"_No more special than you are to me." Bianca pulled her closer and captured her lips for a lingering kiss._

/

"Earth to Bianca. Where'd you go?"

"I was just remembering the first time you made hot chocolate for me and showed me the secret Tasker family recipe." Bianca grinned as she walked over to Marissa. The redhead returned the grin and turned the burner on the stove off. Lips met lovingly and the kiss deepened as they became lost in each other.

/

"What'd you think's taking them so long?" Gabby asked.

AJ and Miranda rolled their eyes as the youngest family member looked around at their brother and sisters having no clue what they were talking about.

"Do you really need to ask, Gabs?" AJ smirked.

"Oh yeah, you're right. Sorry about that. I had a brain cramp."

"When're Mama and Mommy coming in to start the story?"

The three older siblings looked at each other knowing that one of them should venture back into the kitchen and retrieve their mothers.

"Not it!" AJ and Gabby said in unison.

"Seriously?"

"Hey, I saw them this morning, and I'm still recovering from that." AJ grinned.

"And I'm too young to keep seeing that. It could scar me for life." Gabby smirked.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Fine, I'll go, but you both owe me. And, Gabs, that excuse is getting old. You're going to have to start coming up with something better."

/

A smile spread across Miranda's face as she witnessed her mothers standing in the kitchen with their arms wrapped around each other and kissing. Even after all these years, the pair couldn't seem to keep their hands to themselves around each other. She wondered what set them off this time. It honestly didn't take very much sometimes. The teen hoped that someday she would find someone she felt that way about. She cleared her throat to no avail. Her parents still didn't separate. She shook her head and sighed. "Excuse me, but your children were wondering what was taking so long with the hot chocolate."

The couple finally separated, but only slightly.

"It's your mom's fault. She started it." Marissa grinned.

"Well, thanks for throwing me under the bus. I don't recall you complaining or resisting." Bianca smiled.

Miranda shook her head again and smirked. "I don't care whose fault it is. I was sent in here to supervise the two of you. So enough of that stuff. Get back to work."

Marissa chuckled and turned back to the stove to start warming the hot chocolate again. "Let me guess. You drew the short straw."

"Well, AJ walked in on the two of you making out this morning. Gabby says she's too young to witness it too often and will be scarred for life if she does. If she's too young, then you know Sparky's way too young. That leaves me." Miranda smirked and hopped up on counter to take a seat after snagging some marshmallows. She noticed that Bianca had wrapped her arms back around Marissa and rested her chin on the other's shoulder. "Mom, if you don't keep your hands to yourself, I'm gonna have to send you into the other room."

Bianca made a face. "I'm just helping her stir."

Miranda rolled her eyes at the playful pout on her Mom's face. She heard Marissa snicker at the response. "Yeah right, and I was born yesterday. Sparky wouldn't even buy that excuse."

Bianca sighed heavily. "What am I supposed to do with my hands?"

"You could get the mugs and a tray." Miranda said completely amused by Bianca's reaction to her suggestion and seeing Marissa starting to shake from keeping her laughter under wraps. "And you should better, Ma. You know how she is when you wear that t-shirt. Whose is it anyway?" There was something about that t-shirt that always sparked something between them. That, along with their love of snowball fights, was another mystery the kids had yet to crack.

Both women answered. "Mine!"

"Sorry, B, but I have to disagree with you. Remember, possession is nine-tenths of the law."

"We'll deal with later." Bianca whispered as she passed Marissa to retrieve mugs.

"I look forward to it." Marissa whispered in reply. "You know who she reminds me of right now?"

Bianca laughed. "Yeah, I do. She's just like her Aunt Kendall."

The teen grinned. "I am? Cool because Aunt K is the best!" Miranda continued to watch her mothers. "Could I ask both of you something?"

Marissa glanced at her oldest daughter. "You can ask us anything, Mimo."

"How did you know that you finally found the right one? I mean you were both in relationships before that didn't work so well. How'd you know that it would be different this time?"

Bianca set the mugs down and turned to Miranda. "Is there a particular reason you want to know, Mimo? Is there someone that you like?"

The teen shook her head. "No, there's no one that I like that way. I was just curious. Well, it's that and the fact that Jessica's parents are getting divorced."

Marissa sighed. The girl was her daughter's best friend. "I'm sorry to hear that. Is Jessica okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. She's sad, but she's hanging in there. And just so you know, I'm not worried about the two of you."

Bianca smiled. "I'm very glad to hear that. To answer your question, I don't know that I can give you a definitive answer. I just knew that Marissa was the right one. I knew she wouldn't hurt me and that I could trust her. She'd been there right next to me through some pretty bad stuff, and she never wavered, not once. She makes me laugh, listens to me and always puts me and our family first. There's nothing that she wouldn't do for me."

Marissa grinned. "I can say all the same things about Bianca. I kissed a lot of frogs in my time so after a while you kind of know when something's just not right. For me, my problem was getting past myself. You see, I was my biggest stumbling block. Once I could finally admit to myself that I was in love with her, I just knew that she was the one. I never have and never will look back. I know that I could never find anyone more perfect for me."

"Ditto." Bianca gave her a quick kiss and turned to their daughter with her goofy grin on her face. "Does that help you at all?"

Miranda chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it does."

Gabby poked her head into the kitchen. "Is everything okay in here?"

"Everything's just fine, Monkey." Marissa laughed. She turned the burner off, removed the pot from the stove and began filling the mugs.

"So, what brings you in here, Gabs? How'd AJ get you to make the trek?" Miranda smirked.

Gabby rolled her eyes. "He beat me at rock, paper, scissors."

The teen cracked up laughing. "I've warned you about taking him on in that over and over again. You give yourself away every time."

"How?"

"Oh no, I'm not telling you that."

"Alright, time out. The hot chocolate's ready so let's go. A certain four year old has been waiting very patiently for me to pick the story back up, and I really can't keep 'em waiting any longer."

"Marissa's right. We should get back to the story." Bianca picked up the tray and followed the other three into the family room.

After everyone settled in, Marissa looked around at her family. All four children were settled on the sofa with the youngest family member happily sitting in between the two oldest children with a big grin on their face. Gabby was sitting next to AJ. The mothers were settled beside each other on the love seat. Marissa had to admit she liked this new configuration. The redhead addressed her question to the youngest brunette. It was known by all that Gabby had a memory like an elephant, never forgetting a thing. "So, where was I, Monkey?"

Gabby grinned. "King Jesse and Queen Angie sent Marissa, who was their wisest royal counselor, to help King Jackson and Queen Erica with Evil Queen Tammy, who none of us like at all. Marissa was instructed not to tell anybody who she was, who sent her or what her mission was until after she spoke with King Jackson and Queen Erica. Now, the Evil Queen didn't know exactly who Marissa was, but she was suspicious and decided to stop her. She turned into a wolf and attacked Marissa and Sir Scott who's the counselor's friend and was there to help protect her. The Evil Queen knocked Sir Scott off his horse hurting him and spooked Marissa's horse. What the Evil Queen didn't know was that Princess Bianca and Marissa had the best fairy godmothers around in Kendall and Greenlee. The fairy godmothers met and thought that the princess and the counselor just might be each other's true loves and decided they needed to help them meet." Gabby took a deep breath and continued. "The fairy godmothers saw the perfect chance for that to happen when Bianca and Marissa ended up on the same road. Kendall threw some roadblocks on Bianca's route to make sure they ran into each other. The fairy godmothers were just a little too late to stop the Evil Queen's attack, but Kendall detoured Princess Bianca and Sir Zachary, who was King Jackson and Queen Erica's bravest and most loyal knight and travelling with the princess, so they stumbled on Sir Scott. Princess Bianca heard Marissa's cry for help and told Sir Zachary to help Sir Scott while she rode off to help the counselor. Princess Bianca caught up with Marissa in no time at all because she was the best rider anywhere. The princess got the horse under control and saved her. That's when they finally met and couldn't see anything else but each other."

Gabby took another breath and glanced around at her family. Each one had an amused look on their face, well each one except for the youngest one. There was a look of awe on Sparky's face. "Well, Ma asked where she left off."

Marissa chuckled. "You're right, Monkey. I did and thank you. Princess Bianca grabbed the reins and slowed Marissa's horse down. When the horse finally stopped, the women dismounted both of their horses, and they turned to look at each other. The moment their eyes met, the whole world seemed to come to a stop. Neither woman could see anything else other than the woman standing right in front of them. Marissa knew in an instant that she had never seen anyone as beautiful as the woman in front of her."

"She wasn't the only one. The princess hadn't seen anyone as beautiful as the redheaded stranger standing in front of her." Bianca grinned.

Marissa chuckled. "The counselor's heart was beating so fast she couldn't hear anything. She'd been sure that she was going to be thrown off her horse and hurt, but because of the woman in front of her, she wasn't. They stared at each other for several minutes unable to speak because of everything that had happened and everything they were feeling. Finally, the counselor's horse nudged her, and she found her voice.

_/_

"_Thank you. You saved my life. How can I ever repay you?"_

"_You're welcome, but you don't owe me anything. I'm happy that I was able to help, and I don't know that I saved your life. I just slowed your horse down."_

_The counselor shook her head. "No, you did much more than that, and I must repay you somehow. I insist."_

_The princess considered the request. She really couldn't ask for anything in return for simply helping someone. A solution came to her. "Very well if you insist, your repayment will be to tell me your name."_

_The request was met with a smile from the counselor. There was something in the warm chocolate eyes she was gazing into that told her the woman was not going to budge on this. She decided to play along for now, but she would find a better way to thank her later. "My name is Marissa. Could I ask your name?"_

_The princess extended her hand. "My name is Bianca. It's nice to meet you, Marissa."_

"_It's nice to meet you, Bianca." As Marissa took the other woman's hand, both women felt a jolt of electricity shoot through them._

_Kendall and Greenlee witnessed the meeting from the limb of a nearby tree and couldn't help but smile._

"_I knew it! Do you see the way they're looking at each other, Greenlee?"_

"_I do, and I'm happy to agree with you, Kendall. Did you feel that tremor when they shook each other's hands?"_

"_How could I not feel it? I have a feeling our work is just beginning with these two. Let's see what they're saying."_

_The princess was the first to speak this time after regaining her senses. She realized she was still holding Marissa's hand and slowly released it. "Were you traveling with someone?"_

"_Oh no, Scott! I have to check on him."_

"_My friend is with him and helping. We can go check on him, but I'm sure he's fine."_

"_Thank you. If it's not too much, I really would like that." Marissa saw that her horse had thrown a shoe, and she wouldn't be able to ride him._

_Bianca noticed it too and again came up with a solution. "You can ride with me. There's a village just down the road, and a blacksmith can take care of your horse there."_

_Marissa smiled. "Thank you. It seems I'm in your debt yet again." Bianca mounted her horse and tied the reins of Marissa's to her saddle. The counselor swung onto Bianca's horse and settled in behind the princess._

_As the women slowly made their way back to where the princess had left the knights, they began to talk. "Is Scott someone special to you?"_

"_He is. He's a very good friend."_

"_Oh, he's not …"_

_Marissa smiled. "No, he's not anything more than just a good friend. The person you were travelling with?"_

_Bianca smiled at both the answer and the question from Marissa. "Zachary is only a good friend as well. Could I ask where you're from or is that too much to ask of you?"_

_Marissa laughed. "I think it's the very least I can tell you considering everything you've done for me so far. I'm from Devonshire."_

"_You're far from home. Am I pushing my luck if I ask what brings you here?"_

"_I'm here to see someone."_

_Bianca could tell from the tone of her voice not to ask more on that subject._

"_This village we're going to, is there an inn for Scott and I to stay?"_

"_Yes, there is. It's quite nice and the innkeeper is very nice. I'm sure you'll be able to find rooms there. Do you know what caused your horse to be spooked and take off on you?"_

"_That's the weirdest thing. A huge wolf came out of nowhere and knocked Scott off his horse and scared my horse."_

"_That is odd because wolves aren't common in these woods." The women continued to chat as they rode, talking about both of their homes. They finally came upon the knights heading their way._

_Marissa smiled seeing that her friend was okay and not seriously hurt. "Scott, it's good to see you, my friend, and good to see that you're okay."_

"_It's to see you, Marissa. I was worried about you when your horse took off. I'm glad that you're okay as well."_

"_Bianca, this is my friend Scott. Scott, this is Bianca. She saved my life."_

"_I thought we agreed that I did no such thing. It's nice to meet you, Scott, and to see that you are well."_

"_Thank you, Bianca, for taking care of my friend, and for leaving Zachary to help me. Is there something wrong with your horse, Marissa?"_

"_He threw a shoe. Bianca has come to my aid yet again. There is a village with a blacksmith nearby. I'll have him taken care of there. She's told me there is a nice inn where we could stay as well."_

"_Marissa, this is Zachary, a good and trusted friend. Zachary, this is Marissa."_

_Sir Zachary noted the women weren't using any titles. The princess would do that from time to time. Having a royal title bothered her sometimes. She felt others weren't truly themselves around her if they knew she was a princess, and she valued honesty above all. "Marissa, it's nice to meet you."_

"_And you as well, Zachary. Thank you for helping my friend."_

"_I was glad to do it, and I knew you were good hands with Bianca. She is the best rider in all the land."_

"_That is something I definitely believe. I don't want Scott and me to detain you any longer, Bianca. I can ride with him to the village."_

_Bianca didn't want to leave the redhead's company just yet for two reasons. The first was she was worried about the appearance of the wolf and its attack on Marissa and her companion. By travelling together, they had a better chance should something like that happen again. The second was she was intrigued by the woman riding behind her and wanted to know her more. She felt something being with her that she hadn't before, and she wasn't ready to give that up yet. "You're not keeping us from anything that can't wait. If you don't mind, I would like Zachary and me to accompany you. I feel a little responsible for you now."_

_Marissa smiled. She hadn't wanted to leave the brunette's company yet. There was something about her that made Marissa smile, something about her that made her happy just to be around her. She wanted to get to know her more. Perhaps, after her mission was completed, they could spend more time together. "If you're sure we're not keeping you, then I would like very much for you and Zachary to accompany us."_

_Both Sir Zachary and Sir Scott noticed the smiles on the women's faces. Neither could recall their friends smiling like that before. If they wished to spend more time together, then they agree with their decision._

"_It's settled then, and since we're travelling together, there's no need for you to change horses. If that's alright with you?" Bianca asked._

"_It's more than alright with me." Marissa caught herself. She sounded a little too eager. "I mean it just makes sense since we're settled here, and I would want to put extra pressure on Scott. He says he's alright, but I would like to have a doctor check him out to be sure." _

"_That's a very smart thing to do. There is a very good doctor in the village as well. We'll make sure you get settled with all that you need." Bianca handed the reins of Marissa's horse to Sir Zachary, and the four set off for the village._

"_Wow, your girl's smooth with the 'no need to change horses'. She just didn't want Marissa to leave her yet." Greenlee smirked._

_Kendall nodded and smiled. "I know. That was pretty good. Your girl had a nice cover too for staying on Bianca's horse. I know she's worried about Sir Scott, but she didn't want to leave Bianca yet either. So, how can we keep these two together?"_

_The fairy godmothers plotted as they flitted behind their charges on the way to the village._

_/_

The ringing of the home phone caused Marissa to pause the story. Miranda grabbed it and checked the caller id. She grinned and handed the phone to her youngest sibling after whispering to them.

The four year old grinned. "Hi, Aunt G! 'Sup?"

Greenlee laughed. She, like everyone else in the family, was completely charmed by the little redhead. "Hi, Sparky! Not much. How are things at Minx Manor? Have you been playing in the snow?" After the family moved in, she had given their new home the moniker, and it had stuck.

"Uh huh, and we had lots of fun! Mama's telling us a story now! You're in it!"

"I am, huh? Could I talk with either of your moms?"


	6. Road To The Village

**A/N: Thanks as**** always for the great reviews! I love them so keep them coming, please! I'm going to try and keep mixing Tasker-Montgomery family action with Marissa's storytelling. The storytelling section is in **_**italics**_** and separated by double / marks. I hope it's not confusing for anyone. Hope you enjoy it!**

**/ **

The ringing of the home phone caused Marissa to pause the story. Miranda grabbed it and checked the caller id. She grinned and handed the phone to her youngest sibling after whispering to them.

The four year old grinned. "Hi, Aunt G! 'Sup?"

Greenlee laughed. She, like everyone else in the family, was completely charmed by the young redhead. "Hi, Sparky! Not much. How are things at Minx Manor? Have you been playing in the snow?" After the family moved in, she had given their new home the moniker of 'Minx Manor', and it had stuck.

"Uh huh, and we had lots of fun! Mama's telling us a story now! You're in it!"

"I am, huh? Could I talk with either of your moms?"

"Sure, Aunt G! Bye!" The young redhead grinned at their mothers and thrust the phone in their direction. "It's Aunt G. She wants to talk to one of you."

"Not it." Marissa laughed.

The three older kids cracked up laughing.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Seriously? It's good to see where our kids get it from. I'll talk to her, Sweetie." The brunette took the phone from her youngest. "Hi, Greenlee. Are the Lavery's enjoying the snow day?"

"Hi, Bianca. Yeah, we are. From what I hear from Sparky, there's plenty of fun being had at Minx Manor."

"Mama, could I have some more hot chocolate." Sparky asked quickly adding the magic word. "Pwease."

Marissa grinned. "Yes, you may. Anyone else want a refill?" Her question was met by a nod and smile from the other family members. She looked at her youngest. "Would you like to help me, Sweetie? Maybe, we can make a stop at the bathroom too if you think you need to?"

The youngest scrunched up their face weighing what Marissa had suggested. "Okay."

"Alright, we'll be back in a few minutes."

Bianca smiled as Marissa gave her a quick peck and watched her two favorite redheads head towards the kitchen via a pit stop for their youngest. "We've been having a pretty good day, and yeah, we've had a lot fun, the biggest kid of all especially."

"Would that be you or Marissa? I hear it varies." Greenlee smirked.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "You really shouldn't believe everything my sister tells you."

"I don't. I know how she is sometimes. Are you saying thought that I shouldn't believe her when she tells me that a certain redheaded lawyer is telling a story and making us fairytale characters? I should tell you that Kendall did get that information firsthand from Sparky."

"Far be it for me to contradict my youngest on what was told to Aunt Kendall. Yes, Marissa is entertaining us with a story and fairytale like characters are involved. She started it last night."

"So, I'm a fairy godmother, and I have wings and a wand? Your other half couldn't come up with something better? I think I need to talk with her."

"You don't like having wings, Greenlee? You're character seems to be a favorite with this crowd. I mean, you did help save Marissa's character after all. As for talking to her, you'll have to wait on that. She's getting us refills on our drinks with the help of our youngest."

"Huh, my character did that? I didn't know that. So, we're not your traditional fairy godmothers then?"

Bianca laughed. "When have you and my sister ever been anything traditional? Besides, you know Marissa doesn't always go for the traditional in her stories."

"I prefer to think of Kendall and myself as free spirits and thinkers outside the box. You're right about Marissa. She doesn't always go for the traditional. I've always liked that about her. Basically then, I'm a kickass fairy godmother. I suppose I can live with that."

"Good, I'm sure Marissa will be relieved to know that."

"Did you know that you Kane women all have the same snarky tone to your voice sometimes?"

"I come by it honestly."

"Mommy, we're ready for more of the story."

"I gotta go, Greenlee. We're about to pick the story back up. Is there anything you want me to tell Marissa?"

"Tell her to keep my character kickass."

Bianca chuckled. "I'll be sure to do that. Talk to you later."

Marissa made her way back into the family room with a tray full of mugs filled with hot chocolate which she set down on the coffee table. "The chili is almost ready."

"Good because I'm starting to get hungry." AJ grinned.

Miranda looked at her brother. "You're always hungry."

"She's right, you know. You are." Gabby smirked.

"Mom, are you gonna let them get away with this?"

"Sorry, Buddy, but they're right." Bianca chuckled.

AJ released an exaggerated sigh and looked to his redheaded mother for help.

Marissa laughed. "I have to agree with them, AJ. Sorry." She turned to Bianca. "What did Greenlee want?"

"As if you didn't know. She heard about the story from Kendall. Don't worry. You're safe because she likes that you made her kind of an action hero type fairy godmother."

"Lucky me. I was really sweating it there."

"That's pretty much what I told her. If you can believe it, she had the nerve to say I was snarky."

Marissa gave her a quick kiss. "I'll be sure to take care of her the next time I see her."

Bianca grinned. "Thank you!"

The redhead turned to face the kids. The older three had smirks on their faces from their mothers' antics. "Where was I, Monkey?"

"Princess Bianca, Marissa, Sir Zachary and Sir Scott were all headed to the village."

"Alright …"

_/_

_As the four rode towards the village, the princess and the counselor continued to talk. Each woman was very curious about the other. They didn't seem to be able to find out enough about the other one. As they talked, the women didn't realize they were being observed by four others, the two knights and the two fairy godmothers. _

_Sir Zachary had known the princess for a very long time and had never seen her this animated with anyone else before. She smiled and laughed more than she ever had, and she seemed genuinely happy. Part of him was happy to see the princess like this, but part of him was leery. He didn't seem to quite trust the redheaded woman like the princess did. He needed to find out exactly why the redhead had come to their kingdom. The man she travelled with had a certain bearing about him that suggested he held a rank much like his own, that of a knight, and he acted as if he was the woman's protector, again much like he was with Princess Bianca. If he was in fact a knight, he was curious who she was and why she would be travelling with one. Sir Zachary had too many questions and wouldn't be satisfied until he had answers. He had sworn to the king and queen that he would protect the princess, and that was a promise he was going to keep._

_Sir Scott had the same reservations as the man riding beside him. He had known Marissa for a very long time and was a close friend. In all that time, he had never seen her smile so readily and laugh so much. She was usually reserved, especially around strangers. She had to be. It was part of her job. Now however, she seemed relaxed and so taken with this other woman. He had to admit that there was something about the dark haired woman that put him at ease as well. She had a way about her, and there was something in her eyes that showed she seemed to care about his friend. She and her travelling companion had freely helped them, and the brunette had save his friend's life. He would be forever grateful to her for that. He couldn't afford to let his guard down though, no matter what. Their mission was far too important, and he was afraid he would have to remind Marissa of that. _

_The fairy godmothers continued to follow the group unseen. While they were happy to see the reactions the women had to each other, they were concerned by those of their companions._

"_Sir Zachary doesn't trust Marissa." Greenlee observed._

"_Just as Sir Scott doesn't trust Bianca. I suppose we should be happy they have their friend's best interests at heart, but …"_

"_It could cause some problems between them. We'll need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't cause any issues with our girls. Now that they've found each other, we need to keep them that way."_

_Kendall nodded in agreement. "You're right. I've never seen Bianca happier in all the years I've watched her."_

"_The same with Marissa."_

"_There's something else. We need to find out what the Evil Queen knows. It's obvious that she's suspicious of Marissa or else she wouldn't have attacked her and Sir Scott."_

"_I know someone who can help us out with that. Are you okay watching them while I go get her?"_

"_Of course. Who is she?"_

"_She's the fairy godmother who trained me and helped me get my wings. Don't worry. We can trust her."_

"_Alright, you go get her, and I'll keep an eye on them." Kendall watched as Greenlee flew off before turning her attention back to the group._

"_Do you live in the village, Bianca?"_

"_No, I don't. I live close to it." Part of the princess wanted to tell Marissa everything about her, but part of her told her to hold back some. She'd been hurt many times before and was hesitant about opening up._

"_What can you tell me about the king and queen? I hear they're very kind." Marissa asked. While she wanted to know everything there was to know about Bianca and tell her everything about herself, she knew she had a mission to fulfill, and it had to come first, and like the brunette, she had been hurt many times before. It was hard for her to open up._

"_That they are. Everyone loves them. Well, almost everyone that is."_

"_There's someone who doesn't?"_

"_Yes, her name is Queen Tammy, and she does not like them at all."_

"_Why is that?"_

_Bianca sighed. "It seems that she was in love with King Jackson, but he didn't feel the same way about her. One day he was travelling through this kingdom and happened upon Queen Erica. The moment that happened, he knew he had lost his heart to her. It took them some time to admit it to each other though, but once they did, they married and have been happy ever since."_

"_It sounds the king and queen found true love. They're very lucky. Not everyone is." Marissa said wistfully._

_Bianca caught the tone in voice. "Yes, they have, and they are. You don't believe in true love?"_

"_Oh no, I do. I just haven't been as lucky as them. I'm not sure that it's my fate to find it."_

_The princess glanced over her shoulder and offered Marissa a soft smile. "Don't give up hope. You'll find it. Sometimes, it just takes some of us longer to find it."_

"_You haven't found your true love either?"_

"_No, I haven't. I thought I had, but I was wrong. I haven't given up hope though. My mother won't permit it. If I've learned anything from her, it's the belief that anything's possible. So, I'm keeping the hope alive that my true love is out there somewhere, and that I just haven't met them yet."_

"_If I find my true love …"_

"_When you find your true love …"_

_Marissa chuckled. Bianca's optimism was hard to deny. "Okay, you win. When I find my true love, I hope I'm as lucky as the king and queen. Your mother sounds like an optimist."_

"_Others might think differently, but at heart, she is. She's taught me a great deal."_

"_Thank you."_

"_For what?"_

"_I'd forgotten how much of an optimist my mother was. She told me that I might have to kiss a lot of frogs before I found true love like she did with my father, and trust me, I've had my share of frogs. It's easy to get discouraged sometimes and forget. That's what I did. Thank you for reminding me of her."_

"_Your mother is no longer here?"_

"_No, I lost her and my father some time ago. I still miss them." Marissa wondered what made her reveal that to this stranger. She had never opened up this much before to someone she barely knew._

_Bianca's heart ached for the redhead. She could see the sadness in those hazel eyes gazing at her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad."_

_Marissa saw the concern and caring in warm chocolate eyes, and the sadness she felt over her loss was quickly eased somehow. "It's okay. You didn't. They gave me so many happy memories. I was lucky to have them in my life. I only hope I can be half as good of a parent as they were when I have children."_

"_See, you haven't given up hope." Bianca grinned._

"_No, I suppose I haven't after all." Marissa chuckled at the brunette's reaction._

"_So, what did you do after you lost your parents, if I could ask?"_

"_I was taken in by a wonderful couple. They knew my parents quite well and had promised them they would take care of me should anything happen to them." Marissa smiled. King Jesse and Queen Angie were as good as their word. Her parents, Roy and Lydia, had worked in the king and queen's castle for many years, serving them loyally and proudly. When they fell ill, Queen Angie took it upon herself to care for them, to make them as comfortable as she could. She left no doubt that Marissa would be well cared for and treated as family. In return, the redhead gave her loyalty and affection to the king and queen just as her parents had._

_/ _

"So, that's how she became their most trusted advisor. You get what you give." Miranda smiled. This was a lesson her parents had enforced for her and her siblings time and time again.

Marissa nodded. "Exactly, Mimo."

_/_

"_It's good that you had them."_

"_Yes, I'm very lucky. What about your parents?"_

"_It's my mother, my step-father and myself. I lost my father many years ago."_

"_I'm sorry."_

_Bianca smiled softly. From hearing Marissa's own story, she knew the redhead was sincere and what she was saying was heartfelt and not merely words. "Thank you. Like you though, I had many happy memories with him. My mother is a force of nature and very strong-willed. She's been there for me whenever I've needed her."_

"_You're very lucky." As much as the redhead wanted to continue this conversation, she could sense Bianca wanted to change topics. "So, I take it this other queen isn't thrilled with the king and queen, with their happiness." Marissa smirked._

_Bianca sighed, relieved to move onto another subject. "No, she isn't. She seems to have made it a personal mission to try and ruin their happiness by any means necessary."_

"_How so?"_

"_She's blocking their trade routes with the other kingdoms, trying to isolate them."_

"_That explains some of what we saw on our travels here. Because it was just the two of us, we were able to make it through without any problems, but it still wasn't easy. That can't be good for this kingdom though. Is there anything they can do to stop her?"_

"_The king and queen have sent emissaries to the other kingdoms, but it seems that not all of them have made it through. There are rumors that she's captured a majority of them and thrown them in her dungeon. There hasn't been word from the few that managed to get through the traps she laid out surrounding the kingdom."_

_Marissa nodded. Everything she had heard in Devonshire appeared to be true. The emissary that had reached King Jesse and Queen Angie had been badly injured and was still recovering. Marissa and Scott had only been able to make it here by travelling a little known route. "Hopefully, they made it through safely and help will be on its way."_

"_Let's hope. The village is just up ahead."_

"_Has it been affected by the other queen's actions yet?"_

"_Not yet. This village and the kingdom as a whole has always been pretty self-sufficient, but I think it will start to affect everything in the near future."_

_As they reached the village, Marissa marveled at the bustling in the marketplace there. It was definitely bigger and more impressive than the one back in Devonshire. The group slowly made its way to blacksmith._

"_Zachary, would you mind taking Marissa's horse to the blacksmith's? I'll take our new friends on to the inn just across the way."_

_The knight paused briefly. He wasn't sure about leaving the princess alone with these strangers, but given where they were, he knew the villagers would make sure no harm came to her. While most didn't recognize Bianca as the princess, they did know her as a kind soul and one of their own. They would keep her safe. He nodded. "As you wish. I'll be along shortly."_

"_Thank you." Bianca directed her horse towards the village inn. Several minutes later, the three remaining riders reached their destination._

_Scott dismounted his horse and helped first Marissa and then Bianca off the other horse. _

"_It looks like a lovely inn." Marissa smiled._

"_I think you'll be comfortable here. How long do you plan on staying?" Bianca asked, hoping she would get a chance to see the redhead again._

"_I'm not sure. I would think we'll be here at least a few days."_

_They walked into the inn and Bianca called out to the innkeeper. "Krystal, we have some visitors in need of rooms."_

_An older woman came in from another room and gave the princess a warm smile. Unlike some villagers, she knew her true identity but kept it secret because the princess had asked her to. Whenever she saw her in the village, she addressed the princess by her first name. "Bianca, how are you? It's been a while."_

"_I'm well. It has been. I haven't been able to get away to visit. How are you?"_

"_I can't complain. Who do we have here?"_

"_These are new friends of mine, Marissa and Scott. They each need a room. Are you able to help them?"_

"_I am. Hello, Marissa, Scott."_

"_Hello, Krystal. Thank you. Before we get settled though, I would like a doctor to check out Scott and make sure he's okay."_

"_I'm fine, Marissa. There's no need to worry about me."_

"_Please, my friend, have someone look at you, for me. It was a hard fall you suffered. It would make me feel better."_

_Scott sighed unable to refuse his friend's request but not quite willing to leave her on her own unprotected in this new place._

_Bianca sensed his reluctance. "Krystal, could you send someone to fetch the doctor and bring him here?"_

"_I can do that." The older woman signaled for a servant and sent him off for the doctor._

"_We don't wish to bother anyone." Marissa insisted._

"_It's no bother. I'm happy to do it. Any friends of Bianca's are friends of mine."_

"_Thank you. That's very kind of you." _

"_You're welcome. Let's get your friend comfortable while he waits for the doctor." The three women helped Sir Scott to a chair. "How were you injured?"_

"_A wolf came out of nowhere and knocked me off my horse on our way here."_

"_It also spooked my horse and sent me off into the woods. If it wasn't for Bianca rescuing me, I don't know what would've happened. It seems that she's saved me three times today." Marissa glanced at the princess and smiled._

"_What did she do?"_

"_She came out of nowhere and caught up with me. She grabbed the horse's reins and was able to stop him. She saved me a second time when she noticed he had thrown a shoe and offered me a ride and not leaving me stranded in the woods. The third time was when she refused to leave us unattended and accompanied us here. She's pretty amazing." _

_Krystal noticed the princess blush and the way the visitor looked at her. "You won't get any argument from anyone in the village on that."_

"_I didn't do anything that anyone else wouldn't have done." Bianca protested._

_Marissa shook her head. "I think you're being too modest. There are some who wouldn't have helped at all."_

"_Krystal, I hear you need my services. I hope no one is seriously hurt."_

"_Frankie, thank you for coming. We have a visitor in need of your services. He was knocked off of his horse by a wolf." She took him over to Scott._

_The doctor nodded to the women and set about examining Sir Scott. While this was taking place, Sir Zachary arrived._

"_Marissa, your horse has been taken care of. I took the liberty of having your horse along with Scott's taken to the stables for the night. They'll be well taken care of."_

"_Thank you, Zachary. That's very kind of you."_

"_You're welcome."_

"_Excuse me, miss, but your friend is fine, just some scrapes and some bruises."_

"_See, I told you that I was fine, Marissa."_

"_I know you did, but I wanted to be sure. Thank you, doctor." The redhead handed him several coins as payment. _

_Marissa turned to Bianca. "You must allow me to repay you and Zachary in some small measure for your extraordinary kindness. Would the two of you join Scott and me for dinner?"_

"_Bianca, I'm afraid we must be getting back. Your mother will be wondering where you are."_

"_You're right, Zachary. She will be. I'm sorry, Marissa. We really should go." Bianca smiled sadly._

"_I understand. Would it be possible to see you again?" Marissa asked hopefully._

_Her request was met with a bright smile from Bianca. "I would like that very much. I'll be back here tomorrow."_

"_You will? I look forward to seeing you tomorrow then." Marissa grinned._

_/_

"They like each other, don't they, Mimo?" Sparky whispered loudly to Miranda.

The teen chuckled. "Yep, Sparky, they sure do. They like each other a whole lot."

"Kinda like Mama and Mommy, right?"

"Exactly like them."


	7. Discussions

**A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've gotten onto a roll with my other story and ended up putting this one aside for a bit. I'll try to update more often. Please keep the reviews coming. The storytelling section is in **_**italics,**_** and separated from the rest of the story by /\ marks. Hope you enjoy it. **

**/ **

_Marissa turned to Bianca. "You must allow me to repay you and Zachary in some small measure for your extraordinary kindness. Would the two of you join Scott and me for dinner?"_

"_Bianca, I'm afraid we must be getting back. Your mother will be wondering where you are."_

"_You're right, Zachary. She will be. I'm sorry, Marissa. We really should go." Bianca smiled sadly._

"_I understand. Would it be possible to see you again?" Marissa asked hopefully._

_Her request was met with a bright smile from Bianca. "I would like that very much. I'll be back here tomorrow."_

"_You will? I look forward to seeing you tomorrow then." Marissa smiled brightly._

_/\_

"They like each other, don't they, Mimo?" Sparky whispered loudly to Miranda.

The teen chuckled. "Yep, Sparky, they sure do. They like each other a whole lot."

"Kinda like Mama and Mommy, right?"

"Exactly like them."

_/\_

_Scott saw the smile on Marissa's face as she watched Bianca ride off. He was worried that she was losing sight of her mission and its importance. He felt he needed to speak with her and set her straight._

_Marissa turned and saw the look her friend was giving her. She shook her head, silently telling him this was not the place for this discussion. "Krystal, would it possible to go to our rooms?"_

"_Of course. I'm sure you want to freshen up and rest some before dinner. It sounds like you had quite the ordeal on your journey. I'll take you to them now."_

_The women chatted along the way with Marissa gently pumping her for information on the kingdom. She needed to devise a way to get a message to the king and queen with no one being the wiser. She could not reveal who she was to anyone until she met with them._

_After the friends each had a chance to freshen up, Scott went to Marissa's room to talk._

"_I have to ask what you think you're doing, Marissa. You seem to have forgotten the purpose of this mission. You seem more interested in Bianca then in why you were sent here."_

_Marissa snapped. "Don't start with me, Scott. I know exactly why I'm here and what I need to do. Yes, I talked with Bianca. Would you have me ignore her? She saved my life after all. She saved both of our lives or have you forgotten. She has shown us every kindness, and I'm going to return it. I also have not forgotten why I'm here. The fate of this kingdom as well as our own is at stake. I know that. It weighs on me."_

"_Our kingdom?"_

"_Yes, our kingdom. Do you really think that wolf attack was an accident? I don't. It's too much of a coincidence. Everything that Bianca told us matches what the emissary that made it through told us. I also had to determine if the king and queen are worthy of our kingdom's assistance. While King Jesse and Queen Angie are friends with them, they won't put their subjects at risk unnecessarily."_

"_I didn't know. I thought …"_

"_You thought I forgot about everything the minute I saw Bianca. I haven't. While I will admit that I feel something for her, and I can't even begin to tell you why or what those feelings are, I know why I'm here and what I need to do. Don't ever doubt that."_

"_I'm sorry. I don't doubt you." Scott couldn't stop himself from voicing his next thought. "It's just that you don't know anything about Bianca. How do you know she wasn't sent here to distract you from your mission? You said you think the attack was no accident. Have you considered then that she could be responsible for it? Doesn't her happening upon us at the precise moment we need her seem too convenient for you? Look at everything else. She knows the innkeeper. She knows the doctor and the blacksmith. She's gone out of her way to help us for no reason at all. Have you taken all of this into account, considered any of this?"_

_Marissa took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down. She didn't want to lose her temper with Scott, but he was testing her patience right now. She knew he was only looking out for her, but he was wrong. She didn't know why, but she just knew he was wrong about Bianca. There was just something in her heart, in her soul that told her that the brunette could be trusted. Marissa knew that Bianca was helping them simply out of the goodness of her heart. She knew it without a doubt. She knew there was more to her than met the eye, but it wasn't anything bad. She also knew that she was looking forward to seeing her again tomorrow, looking forward to spending more time with her and getting to know her. "Enough! I know you're looking out for me, but that's enough. That's not who Bianca is. There is no way she could've set that attack up. You didn't see her immediately after it. I did. She had nothing to do with it. She's helping because that's who she is, the kind of person she is. I'm not going to talk anymore about this. I have something more pressing on my mind than your suspicions about Bianca."_

_Scott started to protest but decided against it seeing the look in his friend's eyes. He knew he had pushed as far as he dared and decided it was the wiser move to drop the subject for now. "What are you thinking about?"_

"_I've been thinking of how we can contact the king and queen to request an audience with them without giving ourselves away."_

"_That will be a trick. Have you come up with anything?"_

"_Not yet, but I will. For now, let's go to the tavern for dinner. Perhaps some food will help me find an answer."_

_/_

_Zachary couldn't help but notice the smile on the face of Princess Bianca, and he was concerned. The princess seemed smitten by the new arrival, and given her past, he thought there was a chance she could let her emotions get the better of her and get hurt or become careless. The kingdom was facing rocky times, and the king and queen would need her level-headedness to help them through this time. He was also concerned by the so-called wolf attack. He was suspicious of it and the redhead. It seemed too coincidental for his liking. _

"_Princess Bianca, do you really think it's wise to go back to the village tomorrow to see that woman?"_

"_She has a name, Zachary. Her name is Marissa, and yes, I do."_

"_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. May I speak freely?"_

"_You always do." Bianca smirked._

"_You don't know anything about her. For example, the wolf attack. How do you know it's real? How do you know that it wasn't staged? That it wasn't done to play on your emotions, to gain your confidence?"_

"_What do you mean by that? Marissa doesn't know who I am."_

"_How do you know for sure? If she does, then she knows how kind-hearted you are. You're known for that, and it could be used against you. She could take advantage of you, of who you are and your position for her own gains." _

"_She wouldn't do that."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_I just do. I saw it in her eyes. That attack wasn't staged. She wasn't acting. Marissa was scared. She wouldn't do anything like that anyway. It's not who she is. Before you ask, I just know it. There's something about her that tells me I can trust her. She's not like the others. I know you mean well and have my best interests at heart and are looking out for me, but you don't need to worry this time. I'm a big girl and can take care of myself. There's no reason for you to worry about me, and you also don't have to worry about me being there for my mother. Have I ever let her down before? Have I ever let anyone else down before? I know my role and my duty. Never doubt that." Princess Bianca didn't wait for an answer before she spurred her horse on and took off on a gallop towards home._

_Zachary shook his head. Perhaps, he had pushed the princess too hard. She did have good judgment, and he would trust it and her. She was right. She had never let anyone else down, particularly Queen Erica. It was only her own heart that she had a problem guarding. He sighed and took off towards the castle._

_/_

_Queen Erica smiled when she saw her daughter approach. "Bianca, I was worried. You're later than you said you would be."_

_Bianca smiled and kissed her mother's cheek. "I'm sorry. We ran into some travelers that needed our assistance."_

"_What happened, Sweetheart? Is everyone alright?"_

_The princess turned to see the king enter the room and greeted him warmly. "Yes, Jackson, everyone is fine. Sir Zachary and I were riding to the village when we happened upon an injured man. I heard a woman cry for help and went to help her while Zachary helped the man. I was able to catch up with her and help her. They were attacked by a wolf. It knocked the man off of his horse and spooked her's. She lost control and was headed deeper into the forest. I helped her regain control of her horse."_

_King Jackson smiled proudly. "Well, you are the best rider in the kingdom. She couldn't have asked for anyone better to help."_

"_Jackson is correct. You are the best. That's very unusual about the wolf. They're not known for attacking so boldly during the day. The couple wasn't hurt though?"_

"_I think his pride was hurt more than anything, but Marissa was thankfully unharmed."_

"_Who is Marissa?" Queen Erica asked._

"_She's the woman. She's very beautiful, smart, and funny with a smile that equals the light from the sun and a laugh that is more beautiful than any song I've ever heard."_

_/\_

"Excuse me, but who's telling this story?" Marissa asked amused.

"Well, you are, but I had a feeling that you were going to skimp on the description of the counselor. I couldn't let that happen. I'm just exercising a little creative license with her character. On second thought, scratch that. Actually, I'm making it a little more authentic to keep her in line with her namesake." Bianca grinned.

Marissa grinned in returned. "You're impossible sometimes. You know that, don't you?"

"I do but only with you. You wouldn't have me any other way though, would you now?"

Marissa laughed and gave Bianca a quick kiss. "No, I most certainly would not."

"Mommy's right. I like Mama's laugh a lot."

AJ grinned. "We all do, Sparky. Mom's is pretty good too. Don't you think?"

"Uh huh, it sure is!" The youngest family member nodded.

Gabby chuckled as she watched her moms. They were looking at each other all starry eyed again and zoning out. "I tell ya, I'm going to be scarred for life."

Miranda smiled as she observed her moms. She really hoped that she would one day find someone that made her feel the way they made each other feel. She chuckled hearing Gabby's joke and shook her head. Miranda cleared her throat to get the attention of her moms. "Mom's right. You weren't going to give the counselor enough credit. You're going to have to give her the same treatment you're giving the princess. It's only fair, and it sets a good example for Sparky."

"You know I don't like it when you get all logical on me." Marissa scolded playfully having pulled her eyes from the warm chocolate eyes of Bianca.

"That would be your influence on me." Miranda grinned.

Bianca snorted. "You know she's right."

"Mama?"

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Why doesn't Scott like the princess?"

Marissa smiled at her youngest. "Oh, he likes her. He just doesn't see her the same way that the counselor does. He doesn't see the things that she sees. He is the counselor's friend though, and he's just looking out for her. Zachary's the same way. They just don't want their friends hurt."

Bianca nodded. "The thing to remember, Sweetie, is that the counselor and the princess aren't letting others talk them out of how they feel about each other and what they see in each other. They're listening to them, but they're making up their own minds."

AJ looked down at the four year old. "Mom's right. They trust themselves and their own hearts. The moms always say if you do that, you can't go wrong."

"Are you ready for Ma to get back to the story, Sparky?" Gabby asked.

"Yep, I sure am!"

Marissa smiled and nodded at her youngest. "As you wish."

_/\_

_The queen was slightly taken aback by her daughter's reaction to the mystery woman. She hadn't seen her smile like she was right now for a very long time, if ever. "This Marissa seems to have made quite an impression on you. What of her companion? What of their relationship?"_

"_They're just friends like Zachary and me."_

"_I see. Where are they from?"_

"_They are from Devonshire."_

_The king and queen looked at each other. Could these travelers hold the key to saving their kingdom?_

_Queen Erica looked at her daughter. "Did they say why they are here?"_

"_No, not really. Marissa only said she was here to visit with someone."_

"_Where are they staying?"_

"_Marissa's horse threw a shoe so we escorted them to the village. Zachary took her horse to the blacksmith while I took them to the village inn. Krystal had rooms available for them."_

"_They're staying overnight there?"_

"_Yes, given the lateness of the hour, Marissa thought it was safer for them to do so. She didn't say how long they planned on staying after tomorrow. I plan on going back in the morning to check on them."_

"_Does she know who you are?"_

"_No, she doesn't. I didn't give her my title, and Krystal and the others remained silent on the matter as well."_

"_Good. I wouldn't want someone to take advantage of you."_

"_I don't believe Marissa would do that."_

"_I don't suppose there is anything I could say to dissuade you from going back tomorrow?"_

_The princess smiled. "No, I'm afraid there isn't. I have to admit that I am intrigued by her. I believe there is more to her than meets the eye, but I also believe her to be a good person."_

"_Very well, but I would be more comfortable if Zachary accompanied you again. It's for your own safety, Sweetheart."_

_Bianca sighed. "Fine, he may come with me. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to freshen up before dinner."_

_The queen nodded. "Of course." She watched as her daughter left the room._

"_What do you make of this woman's appearance, my dear?" The king asked._

"_I'm not sure. Devonshire is King Jesse and Queen Angie's domain. We have yet to hear anything regarding the emissary we dispatched to them. He may have made it through. If he did, the king and queen would only send their most trusted advisor and would do so discreetly with no fanfare or notice. It would be done for their safety as well as our's."_

"_Do you think this woman could be their advisor?"_

"_It's possible. We'll have some people observe her for us."_

"_There's another reason for your interest in this woman."_

"_Yes, Bianca seems smitten by her, and I want to make sure my daughter is safe."_

_/_

_The Evil Queen raced to her castle to observe the damage she had done to the mysterious travelers from her magic mirror. She smirked in anticipation of what she would see. "Mirror, show me the outsiders."_

_An image appeared on the mirror of Princess Bianca racing to catch up to the redhead and then rescuing her. "What? How could this happen? How could she do this? I cannot believe this! The princess has interfered yet again with my plans! I don't know who this woman is, but I will take care of her!"_

_Greenlee observed the Evil Queen from a safe distance as she raged first against the princess and then the counselor. She turned to her friend. "She is up to no good, and will stop at nothing to finish what she started earlier. I fear for Marissa and Princess Bianca. Will you help us, Opal?"_

"_I will. It's obvious there is a special connection between the princess and the counselor. I see the sparks of true love between them. You know how I feel about that. Plus, I don't like this Evil Queen. She's done all that she could to hurt Queen Erica, and that is something I can't stand. I like Queen Erica a great deal. She's got style and sass, and I like that. I've kept an eye on her over the years, and there's not much I wouldn't do for her. You and your friend Kendall can count me in for whatever help you need."_

_/\_

Miranda snorted. "Opal's a fairy godmother! I love it! I can totally picture her with wings and waving a wand around defending Queen Erica."

AJ joined his sister laughing. "G-ma is her gal pal after all, and there's nothing she wouldn't do for her. I can just picture the smack down she'd give anyone crossing her!"

Gabby grinned. "Oh, that wouldn't be pretty at all. How's the counselor going to get to the king and queen, Ma? I don't want Zachary and Scott to get in their way either. I know the knights mean well, but they really should trust the couple."

"I don't like the Evil Queen. She's scary." Sparky added quietly.

Marissa pulled her youngest between her and Bianca. "You don't need to worry about her, Sweetie. The princess and the counselor are very smart and brave."

"You trust your Mama, don't you?" Bianca asked already knowing the answer.

The young redhead nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh!"

"Well then, don't worry. Do you see that smile on her face?"

"Uh huh."

"That smile means she has something up her sleeve, and I think it's going to be good." Bianca smiled.

"Okay, Mommy."


	8. Wild Horses

**A/N: Hey! I'm back with this story. I have to apologize for the delay. I feel bad that I neglected it for a little while, but I was so focused on my other story and the turn it was taking that I couldn't focus on this one. It was hard to switch gears from the angsty storyline of that one to the fluffiness of this one. I'll try and do better with the updates. Thanks for the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate them so please keep them coming! The storytelling section is in **_**italics,**_** and separated from the rest of the story by /\ marks. Hope you enjoy it! **

**It is approaching Thanksgiving here in the States. So to those readers observing the holiday, Happy Thanksgiving! **

**/**

"Do you want me to continue the story, Sweetie?" Marissa asked her youngest. She could see the concerned look in the younger redhead's eyes.

Sparky nodded immediately. "Mommy's right. I know that you won't let anything really bad happen to them, and I wanna hear what's gonna happen next."

"Ah, this one is wise beyond their years. 'Mommy's right.' Truer words were never spoken." Bianca smirked.

Marissa rolled her eyes while their three oldest children snorted, clearly amused. "Wow, if that's not pure Kane woman, I don't know what is."

Bianca glared playfully. "Watch it."

"What? I didn't say that was a bad thing, exactly. You know how much I love the 'Kane Death Glare'." Marissa winked.

Bianca couldn't hold back her laugh. "Yes, I do. You're the only one it has that effect on."

"Well, that's good to hear. You're mine, and I don't want anyone else having those thoughts about you. You know what happened the last time someone did."

Bianca laughed at the memory of Marissa's jealousy on display. "I remember, and you know I feel exactly the same way about you." Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss.

AJ, Miranda and Gabby looked at each other confused.

"What are you talking about? What happened?" Gabby was always the inquisitive one, the one willing to ask the questions her older siblings couldn't quite bring themselves to ask sometimes.

The women cleared their throats and answered in unison. "Nothing." There were some things that their children just didn't need to know about. Both agreed that what happened in those instances were definitely not their finest moments. Of course, what happened did show the other that they weren't taken for granted and were worth fighting for.

Marissa decided to quickly change the subject when she saw Gabby poised to question them further. "Okay, back to the story. Where was I, Sweetie?"

"The princess was going to see the …" Sparky paused wanting to pronounce the word correctly. "Mommy?"

Bianca smiled, knowing the unasked question. "The counselor. She was going to see the counselor."

"Yeah, and the princess told her mom about the counselor." Sparky grinned with pride as the word was pronounced correctly.

Marissa chuckled at the excitement of her youngest. She paused briefly to decide which direction to take the story in before continuing. "Alright, if everyone's ready, we'll continue."

_/\_

_Princess Bianca woke up early the next morning. She was anxious to return to the village and see Marissa. If it was up to her, she would've left before breakfast, but her mother insisted so Bianca had breakfast with the king and queen while her and Sir Zachary's horses were readied for their journey. As soon as breakfast was over, the pair headed off towards the village. They rode in silence for a while before the knight finally spoke._

"_Princess Bianca, I'm sorry. I overstepped yesterday. There's no one who's judgment I trust more than your's. I just don't want to see you hurt."_

_Bianca sighed. "I know, and I thank you for looking out for me. There's no need to though. I know you think I'm being ridiculous but something tells me that I can trust Marissa. She won't do anything to hurt me. She's not capable of it. I just know it. Now, come on. I'll race you!" Bianca grinned and spurred her horse on, leaving Zachary in the dust._

_The knight laughed and took off after the princess._

_/_

_Marissa had been awake for a while. She was still trying to figure out how she could meet with the king and queen without bringing attention to herself beforehand. She had come up with a couple of ideas, but she wasn't crazy about either of them. To be honest though, that wasn't the only reason she was up so early. She couldn't stop thinking about Bianca and couldn't wait to see her again. She had never met anyone like her before. She was something special. Marissa smiled as she thought about the beautiful brunette._

_Sir Scott cleared his throat. "Marissa, I wanted to apologize. I was wrong to doubt you, to question your ability. I just want you to be careful. I don't want you to get hurt."_

"_I appreciate you're worrying about me. I really do. You're a great friend. You don't need to worry about me though. There's no way that Bianca could ever hurt me. That's not the kind of person she is. I know we've just met, but I know it. Now, before you start up again, go have some breakfast. I've already eaten, and I need to stretch my legs and think. I'll go check on the horses while I'm out. I'll be back soon."_

_/_

"_I win!" Princess Bianca laughed as she waited for Sir Zachary to catch up._

_The knight shook his head. "I don't even know why I agree to race you. I never win."_

_Bianca dismounted her horse and tried her very best to look remorseful. "I'm sorry."_

"_No, you're not." Zachary smirked as he hopped off of his horse._

_The princess laughed. "You're right. I'm not. I'll take care of the horses. Why don't you start on that list my mother gave us? I'll catch up with you at the inn."_

_Zachary nodded and handed over his reins to the princess._

_Bianca removed the saddles from the horses and brushed them down. After making sure the horses were fed, she headed off to the inn to see Marissa. She didn't notice the carriage racing out of control directly towards her._

_Marissa was making her way to the stables when she stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw Bianca. The other woman hadn't seen her yet so the redhead could watch her unobserved. Marissa reluctantly turned away from the brunette when she heard shouting and saw a carriage roaring down the road and headed straight towards Bianca. Marissa had no time to think. She merely reacted and sprinted across the road as she shouted._

"_Bianca!"_

_The princess glanced up and smiled when she saw the redhead. The smile quickly vanished when she heard and then saw the carriage. She was frozen in place, unable to move. The second before the carriage reached Bianca, Marissa reached her and pulled her to safety. _

_Marissa held Bianca tightly to her as the carriage whizzed by them. After the danger had passed, the redhead pulled back slightly. "Are you okay?"_

_Bianca nodded as a huge grin spread across her face. "Hi."_

_Seeing the expression on the brunette's face, Marissa couldn't help but laugh. "Hi, yourself."_

"_You saved me. You saved my life."_

"_It's the least I could do considering that you saved mine first. Are you sure you're okay?" Marissa began to check Bianca for any injuries._

_The princess stopped Marissa by taking her hand. "I'm very sure, thanks to you."_

_Relief flooded through the redhead, and she grinned as she felt Bianca's hand in her own. She had never felt anything so right, so magical._

_Bianca flashed a worried look at Marissa. "What about you? Are you okay? You could've been hurt."_

_Marissa squeezed Bianca's hand. "I'm okay. Any injury would've been worth it to make sure you weren't hurt."_

_Warm chocolate eyes met hazel, and the women became lost in the gaze of the other._

_Zachary and Scott raced across the road having seen part of what had happened._

"_Bianca, are you alright?"_

"_I'm fine, Zachary, thanks to Marissa. She saved my life."_

_Marissa blushed. "I only did what anyone else would've done."_

_Bianca shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that. You were the only one who raced in front of that carriage and pulled me to safety. Don't let your modesty take away from you did."_

_Sir Zachary offered his hand to the redhead. "Thank you, Marissa, for saving Bianca. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you. Her mother would have my head if something happened to her, and I know she will be forever grateful to you for what you've done."_

"_You're welcome. It was my pleasure to be of service and repay Bianca for saving my life."_

_Bianca sighed. "Does my mother really need to know what happened? You know how she is."_

"_You know that she will find out. She finds out about everything. There really aren't many secrets in this kingdom." Zachary chuckled as he reminded the princess._

_The princess sighed again. She was not looking forward to that conversation. She knew her mother would overreact and try to forbid her from coming to village anymore._

"_Marissa, are you alright? I guess I shouldn't be surprised by what you did." _

"_I'm fine, Scott, especially since I know that Bianca is okay."_

_Her friend nodded and glanced to where the runaway carriage was now resting. "I'll get check on them and see if they need any help."_

_Zachary looked at the women. "Do you have any idea of what happened?"_

_Marissa answered first. "I was up early and decided to check on our horses while Scott had breakfast when I heard the carriage. I saw that it was headed for Bianca and just reacted."_

"_I had just finished up brushing down our horses. I really wasn't paying attention to what was going on around me. I heard someone call my name and saw Marissa. The expression on her face had me looking up the road and that's when I saw the carriage. I have to admit that I just froze. Luckily, she didn't." _

_Scott returned to the group. "Everyone is okay, just shaken up a bit. It seems the son decided to play with the reins while his parents were in the store. He snapped them, and the horse took off."_

"_I'm glad they weren't hurt." Bianca was clearly relieved._

"_So am I. Well, I suppose I should check on our horses." Marissa added reluctantly._

"_I'll check on them. You just relax. Your morning has been exciting enough." Scott offered._

_The knights exchanged a look and noted that the women were still holding hands and seemingly oblivious to the fact._

"_I'll help you, Scott. Bianca, why don't you show our hero the village? We'll catch up with the two of you."_

_The princess smiled. "I think that's a great idea, Zachary. That is if it's okay with Marissa."_

"_I think it's brilliant. I would love to see your village. We weren't able to look around last night." Marissa smiled as she thought about getting the chance to spend time with Bianca._

"_It's settled then. Zachary and I will catch up after seeing to the horses. Have fun." Scott watched as the women headed off, still holding hands. He sighed as he turned to Zachary. "I may be overstepping, but Marissa is a very good friend to me. I trust that Bianca won't hurt her."_

_Zachary smiled as he watched the women as well. He believed that the princess would be safe with the other woman given everything else that had just occurred. "I was thinking the same thing about Marissa. Bianca is the kindest of souls and has been hurt before. I trust that her instincts are right about Marissa and that she won't be hurt."_

"_What do you mean by Bianca's instincts?"_

"_She believes that Marissa won't hurt her. She feels there is something about her that makes her incapable of it, and even though they just met, she trusts your friend. After the incident with the carriage, I'm inclined to believe her."_

_Scott shook his head. "I pretty much had the same exact conversation with Marissa about your friend. I'm inclined to believe her as well. She is probably the best judge of character that I've ever met. If she trusts your friend, then I will as well. It's pretty obvious they are smitten with each other."_

_Zachary laughed. "Yes, it is. Come. Let's tend to the horses, slowly. We'll take our time catching up with them."_

_/_

_The princess and the counselor walked in silence, enjoying the other's company and still holding hands._

_Bianca finally broke the silence. "Thank you again."_

"_You're welcome again. We really need to stop meeting like that though." Marissa joked._

_Bianca laughed. "I suppose you're right. I have to admit that I'm a little responsible for today's incident."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I couldn't wait to get to the inn to see you." Bianca admitted sheepishly. She couldn't believe she just admitted to that._

_Marissa blushed. "I couldn't wait to see you either. It's why I was up so early. I was getting antsy waiting for Scott so I decided to check on the horses to take my mind off of seeing you. It didn't work."_

_The princess blushed in response to Marissa's admission. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you didn't wait around the inn."_

_The women became lost in each other's eyes again. _

_Shouts from a market keeper broke the moment. "Hey, someone stop that boy!"_

_A blonde boy came barreling down the street and hid behind the women._

_/\_

Sparky's eyes grew wide and sparkled with excitement. "Is the boy AJ, Mama?"

The older three were instantly curious about where this latest development in the story was headed. Marissa always liked to throw twists into her stories, and she enjoyed putting her children into them as well.

Gabby snorted. "Please let it be AJ."

Miranda chuckled in response to her sister's plea. Something caught her eye, and she was able to gain her brother's attention. She nodded in their mothers' direction.

AJ grinned when he saw the couple was holding hands just like the characters in his redheaded Mom's story, and just like their story counterparts, they were oblivious to the fact. It was something he had seen time and time again over the years. It was second nature to them, and it was something that had never failed to make him smile.


	9. Finding Justice

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates here. I've kind of been caught up in my other story, but I've had some time off of work because of the holidays so I was able to work on this one a little. Thanks for the reviews and for reading! They are much appreciated! ****The storytelling section is in **_**italics,**_** and separated from the rest of the story by /\ marks. Hope you enjoy it! Happy New Year!**

**/**

"_I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I couldn't wait to get to the inn to see you." Bianca admitted sheepishly. She couldn't believe she just admitted to that._

_Marissa blushed. "I couldn't wait to see you either. It's why I was up so early. I was getting antsy waiting for Scott so I decided to check on the horses to take my mind off of seeing you. It didn't work."_

_The princess blushed in response to Marissa's admission. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you didn't wait around the inn."_

_The women became lost in each other's eyes again. _

_Shouts from a market keeper broke the moment. "Hey, someone stop that boy!"_

_A blonde boy came barreling down the street and hid behind the women._

_/\_

Sparky's eyes grew wide and sparkled with excitement. "Is the boy AJ, Mama?"

The older three were instantly curious about where this latest development in the story was headed. Marissa always liked to throw twists into her stories, and she enjoyed putting her children into them as well.

Gabby snorted. "Please let it be AJ."

Miranda chuckled in response to her sister's plea. Something caught her eye, and she was able to gain her brother's attention. She nodded in their mothers' direction.

AJ grinned when he saw the couple was holding hands just like the characters in his redheaded Mom's story, and just like their story counterparts, they were oblivious to the fact. It was something he had seen time and time again over the years. It was second nature to them, and it was something that had never failed to make him smile.

Marissa smiled at her youngest. "What do you think?"

"I think it's AJ!"

"Well, let's see if you're right."

_/\_

_Instinctively, Marissa stood in front of Bianca who held a protective arm around the boy._

_The princess looked down at the boy. "It will be alright. Don't be scared."_

_Something in her voice calmed the boy and reassured him. He knew he would be safe with her. That was when he noticed the redheaded woman standing in front of them ready to take on the burly shopkeeper who was more than twice her size. He definitely felt safe with both of these women._

_When the burly shopkeeper caught up with them, his face was red and he was breathing heavy, trying to catch his breath. "Thank you for holding him." He reached to grab the boy. "Come here, boy!"_

_Bianca held the boy tighter to her while Marissa moved to block the shopkeeper._

"_Not so fast, Sir. What did this boy do to have you chase him?" Marissa enquired. _

"_It's none of your concern. Let me have the boy."_

"_I'm sorry, but I can't do that, not without knowing why you want him."_

_The shopkeeper glared at the redhead before looking past her to Bianca. "Hopefully, you'll be more reasonable than your friend. Let me have the boy."_

_The princess shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I agree with her. The boy goes nowhere until we know why you want him."_

"_He took something from my shop. He's nothing but a petty thief and deserves to be punished."_

_/\_

"That mean man's wrong, Mama. AJ wouldn't do anything like that. He's good."

AJ grinned at the little redhead who was defending his honor. "Thanks, Sparky."

"You're right, Sweetie. AJ is very good, and your Mama knows that. I have a feeling she's going to take care of that mean man. What do you think?"

A wide grin spread across the four year olds' face. "She'll take care of him, Mommy."

Marissa smiled at the confidence bestowed upon her. "Are you ready for me to continue the story?"

"Uh huh."

_/\_

"_I am not! I didn't steal anything!" The boy shouted back._

"_You're lying, boy!" The shopkeeper tried to grab for the boy again._

"_Stop! What is he supposed to have taken?"_

"_He took a loaf of bread from my shop. When I asked him for his money, he lied and said he paid. I followed him out of the store and he ran off trying to get away without paying."_

"_But I did pay! I'm not a liar and I'm not a thief! I left the money on the counter. He started yelling at me and then chasing me. I got scared."_

_The man scoffed at the boy's assertion._

_Marissa bent down to look the boy in the eyes. "What's your name?"_

"_Why is his name important? He won't need it when I'm done with him." The shopkeeper muttered._

_The princess had heard what he had said and glared at him with such an intensity that the man went mute._

_The counselor caught the look and smiled at the fierceness of the brunette. While the look scared the burly shopkeeper, Marissa found it captivating._

_/\_

Bianca snorted. "Seriously? Even in this story?"

"What can I say? I just call it like I see it!" Marissa replied with a cheeky grin.

Miranda laughed at her mothers. Over the years, she had seen the look described in the story. It was a family trait and one that she herself was perfecting. For some reason though, it seemed to have the opposite effect on Marissa. She couldn't recall her redheaded mother ever being on the receiving end of it from Bianca, but she had witnessed her Mom directing it towards others a number of times. When she had, Marissa seemed immune to it. It was something that Miranda could never understand, but Marissa's reaction always made Bianca shake her head, roll her eyes and smile as any anger was immediately diffused. It seemed to Miranda like they were sharing an inside joke of some sort, one that no one else was privy to.

Bianca chuckled. "You're impossible. Please continue the story."

Marissa winked. "As you wish."

_/\_

"_What's your name?" Marissa asked again._

"_My name's Buddy."_

"_Hello, Buddy. My name is Marissa, and this is Bianca. Now, did you take the bread without paying for it?"_

_Buddy shook his head and answered solemnly. "No ma'am, I didn't. I paid for it. I left the money on the counter just like I said I did."_

_Marissa and Bianca both studied the boy before looking at each other. No words were spoken between the women, merely a nod was exchanged. "Alright, let's go."_

"_Where are we going?" The man asked confused._

"_Back to your shop."_

"_My shop?"_

"_But I didn't do it."_

_Bianca whispered to the boy. "We know. Trust us."_

_Buddy nodded. For some reason, he did trust the women._

"_It's the only way to determine who's telling the truth." Marissa eyed the shopkeeper and challenged him. "Unless, you have a reason not to?"_

"_Why should we go back to my shop? It's my word against that thief's. Now, if you'll just hand him over, I will let you ladies get on with your day."_

_Bianca held the boy tighter. "He's not going anywhere with you. I find it quite interesting that you're not willing to do as she suggests. The only reason I can think of is that you know he's telling the truth."_

"_I said no such thing." The shopkeeper took a step towards the princess, but Marissa was too quick and halted his advance._

"_I have an offer for you. If the money cannot be found or accounted for, I will repay the debt twice its value and the boy will go before the Queen's Court. I hear she is a just ruler and will know what to do. You will agree with her decision, whatever it may be. If the money is found to be there, you will apologize to Buddy and give him his money back."_

"_Why would I agree to that?"_

"_What do you have to lose? If the money isn't there, you'll get back twice what you're owed."_

"_Make that three times." Bianca offered._

_Marissa smiled at the brunette. "Three times and he'll go before the Queen. If the money is there, you simply owe him an apology …"_

"_And you want me to pay him! Don't forget that!"_

"_Buddy is owed something for the distress you're causing him. I think it's the very least you can do." Marissa offered._

"_I have one thing that might convince you to agree. If you don't pay him for his distress, then you would have to go before the Queen for lying yourself." Bianca stated. It was obvious that the man had no idea who she was. It was equally obvious that he had no idea of how her mother the Queen felt about such issues as this. Her mother despised those who hurt children._

_Marissa gave Bianca a sly smile in appreciation of her quick thinking. "By returning his money, it would be a settlement and you could avoid going before the Queen. Like I said, you really have nothing to lose."_

_The shopkeeper growled. The women had somehow managed to back him into a corner. It didn't matter. The money wasn't there. The boy was lying. He was sure of it. "Fine. We'll go back to my shop. Follow me."_

_Buddy tugged on Bianca's sleeve. "I swear that I didn't do it, and neither of you should have to pay him for money he's not owed."_

"_We know that you didn't do it, and don't worry about us."_

_Marissa smiled at the boy. "Bianca is right. We know you're telling the truth. I have a feeling we won't be paying anything. Have faith."_

_The group reached the shop and the man stormed to the counter. "As you can see, there is no money! This proves the boy is a liar and a thief, and you owe me my money times three!"_

_Marissa turned to the boy. "Buddy, where exactly did you put the money?"_

_The boy walked to the counter with Bianca following closely behind for moral support. "I put it here."_

"_Well, there's no money there, now is there? I'll take my money now." The shopkeeper smirked._

"_Not so fast." Marissa looked around and smiled when she saw a small crack in the counter. She knelt down and retrieved the coins she found under it. She stood up and held out her hand displaying the coins._

_The shopkeeper sputtered and started to reach for the coins. "My money! How?"_

_Marissa closed her hands over the coins. "There's a crack in the counter. The coins fell through it. It's not your money though. It's Buddy's."_

_The shopkeeper was in shock. He was so sure the boy had stolen from him, but he was wrong. He simply shook his head._

"_You owe Buddy an apology as well as the money." Bianca reminded the man._

"_You're right, I do. I'm sorry. I misjudged you. I hope you can forgive me."_

_Bianca squeezed the boy's shoulder. Buddy nodded in understanding. "I accept your apology."_

"_Thank you. Here, take this. Please." The shopkeeper handed the boy another loaf of bread. "It's the very least I can do."_

"_Thank you." Buddy turned to the women. "Thank you for your help. How did you know that I was telling the truth?"_

_Bianca smiled. "You were worried about us having to pay. A guilty person wouldn't be worried about others."_

"_It seems we're excellent judges of character." Marissa winked as she handed him his coins back._

_The boy grinned. "Thank you. I will repay you for your faith in me one day." _

_/_

_After the shopkeeper apologized to the women for his behavior, which they graciously accepted, Bianca and Marissa continued on their walk to the marketplace._

"_You were amazing back there. You were so sure that Buddy was telling the truth." Bianca smiled at the redhead._

_Marissa blushed at the compliment. "You were pretty amazing yourself, and you believed him too." The counselor began to chuckle._

"_What's so funny?"_

"_I was just remembering that man's face when you glared at him. He was really frightened of you then."_

"_It's something I picked up from my mother. It's come in handy sometimes."_

_/_

_Buddy was soon joined by his three siblings as he watched the couple._

"_Where have you been, Buddy?"_

"_I ran into a problem with the shopkeeper, Mimo. He thought I took the bread without paying." _

"_You wouldn't do anything like that."_

"_You're right, Sparky. I wouldn't, but that's what he thought."_

"_So, what happened?"_

"_Do you see those two women over there, Monkey?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Well, they believed me and helped me when they really didn't have a reason to."_

"_We'll have to think of some way to repay them." Mimo stated._

"_Yes, we will, but now, it's time to go home. It's almost time for lunch."_

_/\_

"I knew AJ didn't do it!" Sparky nodded proudly.

"You were right." Miranda grinned at the young redhead.

"And me and Miranda and Gabby are in the story now too!" Sparky added excitedly.

Bianca knew she should correct the grammar, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it seeing the grin on her youngest' face. "I have a feeling the four of you are going to be an important part of the story."

"You really think so, Mommy?"

"I do."

"I think Mom's right, Sparky. You know that Ma does everything for a reason." Gabby added agreeing with her Mom.

Sparky grinned. "Uh huh, that's what makes her stories so good. You tell the bestest stories, Mama."

"She tells the best stories." Bianca smiled.

The young redhead scrunched their face. That's what they had said. "Uh huh."

Marissa chuckled. "Thank you, Sweetie."

"Mama, is Max gonna be in the story too?"

The golden retriever lifted his head off of his front paws and cocked it to the side upon hearing his name. His tail began to wag, thumping happily on the floor, when he saw his family staring in his direction. He moved from the position he had been occupying in front of the fireplace since coming in from the snow and jumped onto the sofa in between AJ and Miranda who immediately began to pet him and scratch behind his ears.

"He just might be, Sweetie."

_/\_

"_I can see that it could come in handy."_

"_Well, no one gives my mother a hard time when she gives them that look. They know better." The princess laughed._

"_I'll keep that in mind should I ever get the chance to meet her."_

"_How did you know about the Queen's Court?"_

"_I heard some people talking about it at the inn. From everything I've heard about her, the Queen sounds like a wise and just ruler. I just had a feeling that if needed that she would do the right thing."_

_Bianca saw the sincerity in the hazel eyes gazing at her. "You're right. She would. You're pretty wise as well."_

"_I've learned a great deal about people over time. It's come in handy."_

_The couple continued to talk about any and everything as they looked around the marketplace. They enjoyed getting to know each other and spending time together. They decided to have a picnic lunch by the village lake. The couple found they were completely at ease with each as they laughed and playfully teased each other. A few hours later, they walked back to the village square. They were walking so close together that their hands would brush against each other. Each time it happened, they would blush but not move their hands away._

_Sir Zachary and Sir Scott saw the women walking back into the village._

"_Marissa, where have you been? I was getting worried about you."_

"_I'm fine, Scott. I was with Bianca."_

_Zachary sighed. "Bianca, you should've told me where you were going. Your mother would never forgive me if something happened to you."_

_Bianca smiled softly as she looked at the redhead. "There was no need to worry, Zachary. I was with Marissa. I was perfectly safe."_

_The men looked at each other and shook their heads as they observed the couple as they gazed at each other. _

_Everything else around them faded away as the women became lost in each other's eyes._

_Kendall the Fairy Godmother smiled as she watched the couple. Things seemed to be going quite nicely for them. She was still on guard for the Evil Queen though and was waiting for Greenlee and her friend to join her._

_/_

_Miles from the Valley of the Pines, the Evil Queen walked through her castle and stood in front of her magic mirror. "Show me Princess Bianca." An image of the princess appeared in the mirror. She and Marissa were gazing at each other. Even though she couldn't hear them, the feelings they had for each other were more than evident to her. The evil queen was not happy at all. She didn't understand why Marissa wasn't hurt. She had been sure the redhead would be after having lost control of her horse, but there she was standing with the princess without a scratch on her. Somehow, they had found each other and were happy. It made her blood boil to see that the princess was happy. That was the one thing in the world that she could not stand and simply would not allow. She had to do something about this. She had to put an end to their happiness. She needed a plan. An evil smile spread across her face as an idea started to form._

_/\_

"You know, she really does have a kinda evil smile. It gives me the creeps every time I see it." AJ whispered to Miranda.

"I know. It's like she's smiling but it's totally fake. You can tell she doesn't mean it. Her eyes don't smile like Mom's or Ma's."

Gabby looked down at her redheaded sibling who had moved back over to the sofa to pet Max. "Are you okay, Sparky?"

"I don't like the evil queen. She's mean."

"Yeah, she is, but you don't have to worry about her because the princess and the counselor have lots of people looking out for them. They've got Sir Zachary and Sir Scott, their fairy godmothers and Buddy, Mimo, Monkey and Sparky as well as each other."

"And don't forget Queen G-ma and King Jackie! Mama said Max might be in the story too!" Sparky grinned.

"Well, there you go! You know that he'll protect them 'cause he's a really good dog!"

"Thanks, Gabby! I feel lots better." Sparky beamed back having been reassured.

Gabby sat up a little straighter knowing she was able to help and had made Sparky feel better. She glanced at AJ and Miranda. Both winked at her and whispered. "Good job."

"She's a really good big sister, isn't she?" Marissa noted softly.

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, she is. She has some good examples to follow on how to be a good big."

_/\_

_Sir Zachary cleared his throat. "Bianca, we really should get back."_

_The princess sighed, not wanting to leave Marissa. She had really enjoyed their day together. "I suppose we should. Could I see you tomorrow, Marissa?"_

_The counselor smiled brightly. "I'd like that very much!"_

_Bianca returned a brilliant smile of her own. "Good! I'll see you tomorrow!"_

_Marissa waved as Bianca and Zachary rode away._

_Sir Scott finally spoke to his friend. "I don't suppose you've come up with a way yet to see the queen."_

_Marissa turned to him. "Actually, I have. We're going to attend the Queen's Court." _


	10. The Queen's Court

**A/N: I'm truly sorry for the delay in updating this story. I will do my best to update sooner. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it! ****The storytelling section is in **_**italics,**_** and separated from the rest of the story by /\ marks. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/**

_Sir Scott finally spoke to his friend. "I don't suppose you've come up with a way yet to see the queen."_

_Marissa turned to him. "Actually, I have. We're going to attend the Queen's Court."_

"_The Queen's Court?"_

"_Yes, it's similar to what is held in our kingdom. I found out that each month Queen Erica will hear and settle all disputes. This month's Queen's Court takes place tomorrow. Everyone is welcome to attend and bear witness."_

_Sir Scott nodded. "That will definitely allow us to see her, but how do you plan on getting her alone to speak with her?"_

"_All grievances are submitted in writing on the day they are to be heard. Tomorrow, I will simply submit our request to speak with her. This way, we won't draw any unwanted attention to ourselves. When she reads our request, I have a feeling she'll pull us aside and speak with us privately."_

"_I should have known you would've come up with something. I'm sorry for doubting you. It's just that you seemed preoccupied with Bianca, almost to the point of distraction."_

_/\_

"Uh oh! That was a bad move on Sir Scott's part." Miranda grinned.

AJ chuckled. "He clearly doesn't know any better. Nobody disses the Princess."

"Not if they know what's best for them." Gabby laughed.

The older children had heard the stories of Marissa's defense of Bianca and had even witnessed a few over the years. It was the same story with Bianca and her defending of Marissa. They were legendary.

"But Mama says Sir Scott is a good guy and her friend." Sparky stated with a serious expression and concern showing on the four year old's face.

"I did, Sweetie, and he is. He's just concerned about his friend. That's all. Okay?"

The smaller redhead grinned and nodded. "'K, Mama!"

"Look at you, I mean the Counselor with the Queen's Court. She's pretty clever, like someone else I know."

The older kids rolled their eyes and groaned as their mothers shared a kiss.

"Any excuse to kiss I guess, huh?" AJ teased.

"You know they don't need an excuse. Looking at each other is reason enough for them." Miranda offered with a laugh.

Gabby shook her head, clearly amused. "I tell you I'm going to be scarred for life."

The couple separated, laughing at their children. Bianca tossed a pillow at Gabby and smirked. "Oh, be quiet!"

Marissa laughed. "Okay, where was I?"

"The Counselor was about to tell Sir Scott how things really were and to back off the Princess." Miranda quipped.

_/\_

_Marissa turned to face the knight, the anger caused by his statement clearly evident on her face. She knew he meant well, but he was getting close to crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed. "I will say this only once, Scott, so please listen carefully. I know you're my friend and concerned about me. Bianca is not a distraction. She is the kindest, most caring and gentlest soul I have ever known. Bianca poses no threat or danger to me. I trust her completely, and she means a great deal to me. I will not have you question her motives or speak ill of her. Do I make myself clear?"_

"_But you've only just met her. You don't know her."_

_Marissa shook her head. "I know that we've only just met, but you're wrong. I do know her. In fact, it feels like I've known her for a lifetime. Regardless of my feelings for her, however, I am more than capable of fulfilling my duty and completing my mission. Are we clear?"_

_Sir Scott nodded. "Of course. I'm sorry. I just worry about you, your mission and how it weighs on you." The knight paused. "I thought you were going to see Bianca tomorrow. Will there be time enough for you to do so?"_

_Marissa smiled at the prospect of seeing Bianca again, her heart skipping a beat in anticipation. "We're meeting tomorrow morning. It won't be for as long as I would like, but it's better than not seeing her at all."_

_Seeing the smile on his friend's face and the way her eyes lit up when she spoke Bianca's name, Sir Scott suddenly knew that Marissa had fallen in love with the other woman. He could only hope her instincts were correct and that she wouldn't get hurt._

_The friends continued their planning for tomorrow's meeting. As they walked, they were unaware of a raven trailing them and listening to their conversation. As the bird was prepared to take flight back to its master, it was snatched from the sky._

_/_

"_Gotcha! Now where on earth do you think you're going?"_

_Kendall was right behind the bird when she saw her friend Greenlee and another woman capturing the bird. Greenlee opened a cage while the other fairy placed the raven inside it. Kendall blinked as she saw the other fairy. Never in her life had she seen anyone quite so colorful as the woman flitting about before her._

_Greenlee saw her friend and smiled as she flew over to greet her. "Kendall, it's good to see you again. This is my friend Opal. Opal, this is my friend Kendall."_

_Opal smiled broadly. "How do you do, Kendall? Any friend of Greenlee's is a friend of mine."_

"_It's nice to meet you, Opal. Nice catch on the raven!"_

"_Oh, this little songbird? That was nothing. He may look like a raven but he's actually a big old tattletale. I've seen them flying around before. They record everything they see and hear and then play everything back to their master when they get home."_

_Kendall smiled. "I had a feeling about him when I saw him circling our friends. And the cage?"_

"_The cage is something I whipped up that will keep him from going anywhere, and more importantly, it will keep his mouth shut and stop him from recording anything else!"_

_Greenlee chuckled. "Pretty impressive, huh?"_

"_It certainly is. I think I'm going to like you a lot, Opal."_

"_So, what did we miss?" Greenlee asked._

"_Well, some horses were spooked and almost trampled Princess Bianca, but Marissa was there in plenty of time to rescue her. Don't worry. I would've saved her, but our good Counselor beat me to it. I checked and there was nothing suspicious about it. It was just an accident. After that, our budding lovebirds saved a young boy from being falsely accused of theft. They are quite the pair."_

"_I can't wait to see them together." Opal seemed very impressed by the couple._

"_It sounds like you've been busy here. What's going on with Marissa and Sir Scott?"_

"_She's come up with a plan to meet Queen Erica. They are attending the Queen's Court tomorrow. I really should check on the Princess. Are you good with watching these two?"_

_Greenlee nodded. "We've got them covered. We'll meet up later to compare notes on what else happens today."_

_With that, Kendall flew off to the castle to find the Princess._

_/_

_Princess Bianca walked quickly down the main corridor of the castle towards the throne room with Sir Zachary hot on her heels._

"_You need to tell your mother what happened today, Princess."_

"_I don't see why. I'm fine. There is no need to worry her."_

"_But you could've been hurt or worse."_

"_But I wasn't."_

"_Would either of you care to share what you're arguing about?" Queen Erica interrupted the pair._

_Bianca greeted her mother. "It's nothing. You know how Zachary is."_

"_Indeed I do and he is not one to worry needlessly. Did something happen today in the village to cause him to worry?"_

_The knight smirked slightly at the Princess. "Either you tell her or I will."_

"_Fine! I'll tell her. There was an incident near the stables."_

_Zachary cleared his throat._

"_You're making way too much out of this." Bianca glared at her friend before continuing. "Some horses were spooked and were running wild down the road."_

"_And this has to do with you how?"_

_When the knight saw the Princess stalling, he jumped in. "And she was directly in their path."_

_The Queen looked at her daughter in alarm and quickly embraced her. "You were?! Are you hurt?"_

"_I'm fine, mother."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_I'm sure." _

"_Oh thank goodness you weren't hurt! Bianca, I don't know what I'd do with if something happened to you. Sir Zachary, thank you for saving my daughter's life. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."_

"_I'm afraid it wasn't me, Your Majesty."_

"_If it wasn't you, then who was it?"_

_Bianca beamed when she answered. "It was Marissa. She was across the road and heading towards the stables when she saw the horses running out of control. She raced across the road and pulled me to safety. She saved me with no thought for her own well-being."_

_Queen Erica arched an eyebrow hearing her daughter's declaration. "Oh, I see. Was she injured?"_

"_No, luckily, she was unharmed. She was only worried about me."_

"_Well, it would appear that I have to meet this young heroine and thank her, reward her for her bravery properly."_

_Bianca was too caught up in remembering Marissa saving her to hear the Queen. "You should have seen her, Mother. She was so brave. Afterwards, we went to the market where we helped a young boy who was being falsely accused of stealing from a shopkeeper. Marissa somehow knew the boy was innocent and was able to prove it. She had the shopkeeper apologize and even compensate the boy. She is very wise."_

_/\_

"Seriously? Who's telling this story exactly, you or me?" Marissa smirked.

Bianca grinned. "Sorry. I had this feeling you were going to skimp on the Counselor's feats, and I thought it would be a good idea if the Princess gave the Queen a full picture of what she did. It adds to story."

The kids cracked up as they watched their mothers tease each other.

"Uh huh. Well, are you done?"

"For now. I do reserve the right to intervene again if I feel that you're not giving the Counselor her due."

"Of course you do. May I continue?"

"Yes, please."

"As you wish."

_/\_

_Queen Erica could only smile as she listened to her daughter gush over the mysterious visitor. There seemed to be a glow about the Princess as she spoke which made the Queen believe her daughter was in love. "It would appear that I definitely must meet this brave young woman."_

_Princess Bianca froze when her mother's words sunk in._

"_Bianca, is anything wrong?"_

"_Marissa doesn't know who I am exactly."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_She doesn't know that I am a Princess and that my mother is the Queen of this kingdom."_

"_And why is that?"_

_Bianca smiled sheepishly at her mother. "It never came up. We spent our time talking about other things."_

"_I see." The Queen knew her daughter never flaunted who she was or her title. She wanted people to like her for her true self and not just because she was a Princess. It would appear this is exactly what had happened with her daughter's new acquaintance. This was indeed very interesting. "So, she did all of these things without knowing your identity. I insist on meeting this young woman. When do you plan on seeing her again? More importantly, when do you intend to tell her who you are?"_

_The Princess sighed. "I'm seeing her tomorrow morning. You're right. I need to tell her, especially if you insist on meeting her. Could I have some time to do so?" Bianca was afraid of how Marissa would react to this news. She was afraid she would run away and want nothing to do with her because she withheld her identity._

"_Yes, you may have some time. I'm conducting my Queen's Court tomorrow which I fully expect you to attend, Bianca. I want you to start participating more in them. I value your opinion. Perhaps, I could meet her the day after."_

"_Thank you, Mother. I promise I'll be there tomorrow." Worry was etched on Bianca's face as she turned to walk to her private chambers._

"_Bianca, if this woman is as special as you say, then you have no reason to worry. She will accept you for who you are."_

_The Princess smiled, hoping the Queen was correct. "Thank you."_

_/_

_The next day, the Evil Queen was, to put it mildly, very angry. Her precious spy bird did not return to the castle last night, and there was still no sign of it today. Her servants quickly hurried out of her way as she stormed through the castle making her way to her private chambers._

"_Mirror!"_

_Her servant in the mirror appeared. "Yes, your majesty."_

"_Show me my raven, the one sent to spy on the Princess yesterday!"_

_The face in the mirror disappeared for several moments before finally returning. "My apologies, your majesty, but I cannot locate the creature."_

_The Evil Queen shrieked and flung a large vase across the room. "You what?!"_

"_I cannot locate the creature."_

"_Guard!"_

_A palace guard suddenly appeared before the Evil Queen. "Yes, your majesty."_

"_Fetch me one of my spy birds and be quick about it!"_

"_Yes, your majesty, right away." The guard hurried away, eager to escape the Evil Queen's wrath._

"_Mirror! Show me the Princess this instant!"_

_/\_

"She's a big meanie and didn't say please. Mama and Mommy always say to say please." Sparky huffed.

Miranda snickered at her youngest sibling's indignation over the Evil Queen being rude. "Yes, she is." _More than you'll ever hopefully know._ "You're right about Mom and Ma. They do say that. It's only being polite and is the nice thing to do, isn't it?"

"Uh huh! Mama and Mommy are the nicest in the world."

"No arguments from any of us on that, Sparkplug." _Well, unless you go after their family. All bets are off then._

The four year old grinned at Miranda, liking the other nickname she had bestowed on them some time ago.

_/\_

_An image of Princess Bianca and Marissa appeared before the Evil Queen. While she could see the couple, she could not hear them which only made her angrier. "I must hear what they are saying! Where is that insipid guard?!"_

_The guard returned with a spy bird._

"_It took you long enough!"_

"_My apologies, your majesty, but I …"_

"_No excuses! Leave me at once!" The Evil Queen snatched the raven from the guard's hands as he hurried away. She looked at the bird and snarled. "Find the Princess and that woman, record everything and return to me tonight! If you fail me, you'll become raven stew!"_

_The raven squawked and flew off._

_The Evil Queen watched the couple a few moments longer before growing tired of them and how they smiled when they looked at each other. "I cannot stand any more of them! Their sweetness makes me ill!" She waved the image away and stalked out of the room, muttering. "I will find a way to destroy her happiness if it's the last thing I do!"_

_/_

_Princess Bianca rode into the village with Sir Zachary by her side. She had been quiet the entire way. She knew she needed to tell Marissa who she was but didn't know how to do so. Bianca was afraid Marissa would be upset with her because she had hidden her true identity. Most of all, the Princess was afraid of losing her. Even though she had only known Marissa for a few days, she couldn't imagine her life without the redhead being a part of it, and to think that might not happen, scared her more than she could admit._

_/_

_For her part, Marissa had been quiet as well during breakfast with Sir Scott while she waited anxiously for Bianca to return. The Counselor missed her a great deal, more than she wanted to admit, and couldn't wait to see her again. She was also nervous about seeing the Queen that afternoon. Her plan needed to work. There were too many counting on her. Bianca was one of those now as well since Marissa knew she lived somewhere in this kingdom. If the Evil Queen won, Bianca would be affected somehow, and the Counselor could not and would not allow that to happen._

_/_

_Marissa was pacing in front of the stables while Sir Scott was leaning against a nearby post when Bianca came into view. The couple locked eyes and both felt like they could breathe again. Huge smiles erased the worried looks both had worn mere seconds before._

_Bianca's horse came to a stop in front of Marissa, and the Princess quickly dismounted. Before either realized what they were doing, the couple embraced each other tightly._

_They reluctantly separated when they heard Scott greet Zachary._

"_Good morning!" Marissa smiled._

"_Good morning! It's so good to see you!" Bianca blushed realizing what she had said._

_Marissa knew in a heartbeat that she had never seen anyone as adorable as the brunette. "It's good to see you too. I've been looking forward to it since you left yesterday."_

_Bianca's breath hitched as she was utterly charmed by the woman before her._

_/\_

"Utterly charmed, huh?" Marissa grinned at Bianca's latest interruption.

Bianca sighed blissfully and kissed Marissa softly. "Utterly, completely, absolutely and categorically charmed."

_/\_

_The couple became lost in each other's gaze before they were brought back to reality by Zachary._

"_Bianca, don't forget your mother expects you back in a few hours."_

"_I know. Thank you, Zachary." The brunette turned back to Marissa. "I do have to be back home soon, but I do want to spend some time with you now and possibly come back later, after I've helped out my mother."_

"_I'll take what time I can get with you. Where are we going today?"_

"_I was thinking we could go for a walk. I know of a beautiful waterfall I think you might like to see."_

"_That sounds perfect." _

_Bianca boldly held out her hand which Marissa happily took._

_/_

_It had been a wonderful morning. The couple shared their innermost thoughts and dreams for the future. The time had arrived for Bianca to head back home and both women were reluctant to part. It needed to be done though, both having their duties to fulfill. _

"_I hate to go, but my mother needs me."_

"_I understand. There is something I need to attend to myself."_

"_I'd like to see you later if I could. There is something … I would like to talk with you more." Bianca bit her lip._

"_I'd like that very much. You could send a messenger to the inn when you're free, and hopefully …"_

"_You'll be free as well." Bianca finished the redhead's thought._

_Marissa laughed. "You read my mind."_

_The women shared an embrace and parted._

_/_

"_Well, looky here! We've got another little tattletale." Opal plucked the Evil Queen's latest spy bird from a branch._

_Greenlee rolled her eyes and opened the magical birdcage that she had summoned for her friend. "She doesn't give up very easily, does she?"_

_Kendall shook her head. "No, she doesn't. It looks like our girls are going to get to know each other's identities completely."_

"_I think they'll be just fine and dandy. Did you see the way they look at each other? They both have got it bad." Opal smiled knowingly._

"_That they do. Shall we go to the castle?" Kendall asked._

"_Like you could keep us away from there." Greenlee smirked._

_The three fairies flew off to Queen Erica's castle._

_/_

_Marissa and Sir Scott made their way to the castle accompanied by Krystal who always attended the Queen's Court. Those participating or witnessing the proceedings were escorted to the throne room. Marissa discreetly handed a sealed note to a palace guard. The friends then stood at the rear of the room, not wanting to draw too much attention. From their vantage point, they could only see the Queen and those presenting their cases. The Counselor listened carefully as each case was presented to Queen Erica. Her decisions were fair and just and left Marissa clearly impressed._

_The next note was handed to the Queen. She paused as she was about to open it. She recognized the seal immediately. Queen Erica whispered to the sergeant at arms who nodded and walked away quickly. _

"_I'm afraid something has come up that I must attend to immediately. This Queen's Court will be adjourned until tomorrow. I apologize for any hardship this may cause but this business cannot wait." With that said, Queen Erica stood and left the room followed by her advisors._

_The villagers began to file out and wondered what had suddenly come up. The sergeant at arms appeared next to Marissa and whispered to her. She nodded and turned to Sir Scott._

"_We are to follow him."_

_/_

"_Mother, what's come up? Why delay today's session?"_

"_It seems, Bianca, that one of our emissaries was able to get through."_

"_That's wonderful news. Which one?"_

"_The one sent to Devonshire. King Jesse and Queen Angie dispatched their most trusted Counselor to meet with us, and they are here today."_

_The sergeant at arms appeared. "The visitors are here, Your Majesty."_

"_Send them in."_

_Marissa and Sir Scott entered the room and bowed immediately._

"_Arise, please."_

_Princess Bianca turned to face the visitors and gasped when her eyes locked onto Marissa's._

_/\_

The kitchen timer sounded and interrupted the story.

"I believe the chili is done. That means it's time for dinner." Marissa said as she stood.

Bianca nodded. "I think it's a good time for a break." She joined the redhead and the couple walked towards the kitchen.

The four children stared after their mothers in disbelief. Was Marissa really going to leave the story hanging right there?

"She wouldn't, would she?" AJ asked.

Miranda groaned. "It looks like she just did."

"That's just not right. It was starting to get good. I mean, the Princess and the Counselor know about each other now!" Gabby whined.

Sparky patted Gabby. "Don't worry. Mama will finish it. She always does."

Bianca chuckled overhearing their children's conversation. "You're a little bit evil sometimes, aren't you?"

Marissa shrugged. "What can I say? I was hungry, and don't tell me you aren't either. I heard your stomach growling."

"Yeah, you're right. It was. I'm starving. You take such good care of me." Bianca grinned.

"That's my job and also my great pleasure. I also like a good cliffhanger."

**/**

**A/N: ****I have to agree with Marissa about liking a good cliffhanger. I'll see you back here soon!**


	11. Picking the story back up

**A/N: I'm back with an update! Again, I apologize for the delay. I can only say that I get caught in writing "Things Change" so this one gets pushed aside. Rest assured though, I haven't forgotten about it. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it! ****The storytelling section is in **_**italics,**_** and separated from the rest of the story by /\ marks. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/**

The kids wanted to grumble over their redhead mother stopping the story where she did, but as soon as the aroma from the chili that had been simmering all day made its way to them from the kitchen, they realized just how hungry they were and gave her a pass. Marissa had gotten Krystal to share her recipe with her a few years ago, on one condition. The family had to agree to still come into Krystal's for a meal of some sort at least once a week and that said meal would be on the house. This was Krystal's small way of continuing to thank Marissa for all of her help with the restaurant's expansion. Thanks to the lawyer, she had cleared several legal hurdles than had arisen with said expansion. Krystal's was now twice its original size and business was booming.

Besides expanding, the restaurant had undergone an extensive remodeling as well. One thing remained however from the original, Marissa and Bianca's table was still reserved exclusively for them and the original plaque stating this fact was still in place. It was also a way for Krystal to thank Bianca for giving the woman her family back. The older woman knew that if it wasn't for Bianca she wouldn't have any type of real relationship with Marissa and as a consequence AJ and Sparky. She also knew it would never come close to making up to Bianca the pain that she and her other daughter had caused, but she had promised herself that she would keep trying to truly earn the forgiveness that Bianca had graciously given her, and sharing her recipe was yet another small brick on her road to redemption.

After dinner was over, the kids bundled up and took Max outside while Marissa and Bianca cleaned up from dinner inside. The kids also managed to squeeze in one more sled ride before it became too dark and cold to do so. Soon, everyone was back inside and settled in the family room in front of a roaring fire with mugs of hot chocolate. From the huge bay window, they could see that snow had again begun to swirl outside and was soon laying another fresh coat to the area for the kids to play in tomorrow.

"Mama, what happened when they met?"

"When who met, Sweetie?"

Gabby rolled her eyes knowing full well that her redheaded mother knew who Sparky was talking about. "When the princess and the counselor met, Ma."

"Oh, them."

Bianca snorted at her wife's playful teasing. "I think you should continue the story, honey."

Marissa grinned when she saw all four children nodding in agreement with her wife. "Okay, I guess you're right."

_/\_

_The sergeant at arms appeared. "The visitors are here, Your Majesty."_

"_Send them in."_

_Marissa and Sir Scott entered the room and bowed immediately._

"_Arise, please."_

_Princess Bianca turned to face the visitors and gasped when her eyes locked onto Marissa's._

_The Counselor was just as surprised to see Bianca, especially in Queen's private quarters. Marissa quickly took in her appearance and knew instantly the brunette was a Princess of this realm. She couldn't focus on that right now though. She had a mission that was vital to the kingdom and Marissa could feel the Queen studying her._

_Queen Erica noted the reactions of the younger women upon seeing each other. It was clear to her that they recognized each other. She just wasn't sure how yet. "Please step forward and state your business."_

_Marissa nodded. "Your Majesty, I am Marissa of Devonshire, Royal Counselor to King Jesse and Queen Angie. This is Sir Scott, Knight of Devonshire. He was sent by our King and Queen to provide escort for me from our kingdom to yours. They send you their warmest regards. As was indicated in the dispatch that was given to you, one of your emissaries made their way to Devonshire. Upon receiving your request for assistance, they sent me immediately."_

_The Queen made note of the Counselor's name. It was the same as the mysterious woman her daughter had been talking about the day before, the one who had saved her life. Coupling that with Bianca's reaction upon seeing the woman, Queen Erica knew she was one and the same and that neither younger woman knew the other's entire true identity. As much as she wanted to get to the bottom of this, she had to focus on saving the kingdom right now. "How is our emissary?"_

"_He was hurt on his travels but is healing. Please be assured that our physicians are taking excellent care of him."_

"_Thank you. Did he say what happened to him?"_

"_Queen Tammy had several of her guards chase him almost from the time he crossed her borders. He did his best to avoid them but was injured. He still managed to escape them though and make it to our kingdom."_

"_I was afraid something like that would happen. She has captured all of our other emissaries. The one to Devonshire, it seems, is the only one to have made it through. Our kingdom is depending on yours."_

"_King Jesse and Queen Angie are pledged to help you in any way they are able. I am here to see what you need and aid you in any way before reporting back to them. They are currently gathering supplies for your kingdom and preparing their forces for battle."_

_/_

_Princess Bianca was trying to wrap her head around what was going on. Marissa was a Royal Counselor from Devonshire and was sent here to help them. She had known there was something special about her but had no idea it was that. Given the nature of her mission, the princess understood why the redhead had kept her identity to herself. Bianca was worried that Marissa would feel betrayed by her however for not revealing her true identity. It was one thing to be a Counselor but another to be a Princess. As she listened to her mother and Marissa discuss several issues, a distressing thought came to mind._

"_Queen Tammy was behind your attack."_

"_What?"_

"_You and Scott were attacked by a wolf in the forest. That is something that never happens in this realm. If she was able to determine which direction you were travelling from, she might have been suspicious of you and attacked you to prevent you from getting here." _

_The other two women looked at Bianca and let her words sink in. _

"_Do you think my daughter could be right?"_

_Marissa began to slowly nod her head. "She could be. It makes sense. Given what you've both told me about her and the lengths she's gone to so far, I can see her doing something like that."_

"_Mother, if I am right, Marissa and Scott cannot go back to the village. It wouldn't be safe for them."_

"_What are proposing, Sweetheart?"_

"_They should stay here."_

"_We can't possibly do that. We'll be fine. Our mission is to be of help to you and not to be a burden. Scott can handle any possible trouble. If we're here, we could put you in further danger, and I won't allow that to happen."_

"_But you wouldn't be. We are surrounded by guards and that makes this the safest place in the kingdom. Given your mission, it is vital that you are kept safe. Otherwise, you won't be able to help us. It only makes sense." Bianca turned to her mother, anxiously awaiting her decision. _

"_My daughter is right. Both you and Sir Scott will stay here. I insist and won't have any arguments. Not only will it keep everyone safe, but it will also allow us to complete planning quickly and privately." Queen Erica looked pointedly at her daughter when discussing safety. She had a strong feeling that Bianca would disregard her own safety and go to the village if Marissa was staying there to make sure she was safe. Her daughter was stubborn when it came to protecting those she cared about, and it was clear to the Queen that she cared about the Counselor._

_Marissa sighed ever so slightly. She knew she had no choice but to accept the Queen's generous offer. It would be an enormous insult if she didn't and that was something she wouldn't do. Even though what the Queen said did make sense, Marissa was honestly concerned about putting the royal family in danger due to her presence, especially Bianca. She cared deeply for the other woman and would never forgive herself if something happened to her. Some might say she was stubborn about these things. Marissa would disagree with them, but if protecting those she cared about made her stubborn, then so be it._

_/\_

Marissa looked at her wife with a raised eyebrow and clearly amused expression. "You seem intent on interrupting this story."

"Well, you called the Princess stubborn when it comes to protecting her loved ones. I thought it only fair that the same be true for the Counselor. She seems to me to be the kind of person that would be that same way, just as stubborn as the Princess." Bianca smirked.

Marissa laughed knowing she had no real comeback. "You're right, as always."

Bianca smiled brightly. "I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten that. Otherwise, I'd have to remind you of that fact."

A quick kiss was shared, and Marissa whispered for only Bianca to hear. "I'll let you remind me of that later, after the kids have gone to bed."

Bianca's eyes darkened and locked with hazel hearing Marissa's promise of things to come later that evening. The desire and want they had for each other was stronger than ever even after all these years as was the love.

Miranda hadn't heard the last part of her mothers' brief conversation, but she did see the look exchanged between them. It was one she had seen many times over the years. She chuckled seeing that her mothers hadn't changed and knowing that they never would. "Uh, Moms, the story."

Marissa cleared her throat. "Sorry about that."

_/\_

"_Thank you, your Majesty. We accept. You're very kind. We will need to gather our belongings from the Inn."_

"_We'll have a servant accompany Sir Scott and Sir Zachary there to gather everything." The Queen signaled and a servant appeared. "Have someone go with the knights to the village and have two rooms set up for our guests." The servant nodded and immediately set about her assigned tasks. "I need to speak with the King about these latest developments. It's almost time for dinner. We will meet again then to begin our planning in earnest. Bianca will show you around and acquaint you with our home." With that, Queen Erica left to find King Jackson, leaving the couple alone._

_/_

_The awkward silence that followed the Queen's departure was finally broken by Bianca. "So, you're the Royal Counselor for Devonshire?" _

_Marissa was relieved that she could finally tell Bianca who she really was and why she was here. She didn't like withholding that information from her. "Yes, I am. I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell anyone other than Queen Erica, for obvious reasons."_

"_I understand why you couldn't tell me. It could've put you in jeopardy, well more than you already were in just travelling here." _

"_Thank you. And you are the Queen's daughter, Princess Bianca."_

_The Princess was worried what Marissa was thinking. She didn't want her to think she was playing games by not revealing her true identity. The truth was paramount to Bianca since she had been lied to by others in the past. "I am. I was going to tell you when we met later today. I go to the village so I can just be myself and not a princess. Only a few in the village know who I am because I keep a low profile. It's actually easy to stay in the shadows considering the large one my mother casts. I also do it because, well because when people hear that I'm a princess they look at me differently, treat me differently."_

_Marissa listened to Bianca. She could hear the truth behind her words. There was also a sadness in Bianca's eyes. Something told Marissa that the Princess had been hurt by others. Keeping her identity secret was a way to make sure she didn't get hurt. There was no malice present. "Princess, I understand."_

"_Please, call me Bianca. You do? You're not mad at or upset with me?"_

_The Counselor smiled. "I understand, Bianca. As I see it, I really don't have the right to be either one because I didn't tell you everything about me."_

"_But you had a good reason. You were instructed not to tell us, and you had your safety to consider. You couldn't jeopardize your mission by telling me."_

"_You're right, but I believe you had a good reason too. As the Queen's daughter, you have to be careful of those around you and their intentions. Now, I understand why Sir Zachary was so protective of you."_

_Bianca was greatly relieved. "Thank you for understanding. Yes, he's always been very protective of me. He sees me like a little sister. I know why Sir Scott was wary of me as well."_

_Marissa chuckled. "He's a good friend and takes his duty very seriously."_

"_I'm glad that he does. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."_

"_Nor I you. While we've only known each other a short time, you've come to mean a great deal to me."_

_Bianca smiled brightly at Marissa's confession. "Likewise, you with me. If I seem to recall correctly, I've been instructed to show you around. Would you allow me the pleasure to do so? We could talk some more."_

"_I would like both very much."_

_/_

_Kendall, Greenlee and Opal watched as the women walked the grounds together._

"_That went better than I thought it would."_

"_You're right, Greenlee. It did. I think it probably helped that they both could see the reasons behind their actions. It also doesn't hurt that they are each other's true love." Kendall smiled._

_Opal shook her head and grinned as she observed the couple. "Well, they sure are cute together." The older fairy glanced around. "The barrier we put up seems to be holding. I haven't seen any more of those tattletale ravens around."_

"_Good. Those two can use a break. This also gives everyone here a chance to plan for what will come next." _


	12. The Secret Garden

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it! I apologize for the lack of updates. I get caught up in updating 'Things Change' and this story ends up getting put on the backburner as a result. Here's a quick update before I head out on vacation. I'll try to have something more on this one sooner rather than later. As always, t****he storytelling section is in **_**italics,**_** and separated from the rest of the story by /\ marks. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/**

"_I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."_

"_Nor I you. While we've only known each other a short time, you've come to mean a great deal to me."_

_Bianca smiled brightly at Marissa's heartfelt confession. "Likewise, you with me. If I seem to recall correctly, I've been instructed to show you around the palace and its grounds. Would you allow me the pleasure to do so? We could talk some more."_

"_I would like both very much."_

_/_

"_And this is my favorite part of the palace. My mother let me design this. It's my special place. I come here to think and just be." _

_The couple stopped at the entrance of what looked to be an ordinary garden, nothing special about it from the outside. It was only after they followed a path to the right that Marissa saw something extraordinary. She found herself entering a hidden garden. Flowers of every color and variety imaginable filled the area with a beautifully carved fountain in the center completing the scene. There was nothing flashy or over the top about the spot. It had a simple elegance about it and matched the beauty of the woman who had created it. _

"_I've never seen anything like this." Marissa wandered a few feet to her left to take in the sights and fragrant smells._

_Bianca bit her lip. She had been nervous about showing this spot to the counselor. She had never brought anyone else here before. "Do you like it? Other than my mother, King Jackson and Sir Zachary no one else knows about this place, until you that is. The servants only go as far as the main entrance."_

_Marissa turned to the princess. "I'm honored that you would show this to me, and I love it."_

_A sigh of relief escaped from the princess. "I'm so glad to hear that. I love coming here to tend to everything. I chose these colors and the variety of flowers because I thought they would all blend together nicely. I can't tell you how it feels to see something I've created come to fruition. It's …"_

_Marissa saw the way Bianca's face lit up as she talked about her garden and what it meant to her. She was enchanted by the vision in front of her and couldn't stop the words tumbling from her mouth. "Beautiful. I've never been in the presence of such beauty in my life."_

_Bianca glanced at the counselor to see what she was looking at but found Marissa gazing at her. Hazel eyes locked with warm chocolate and the true meaning of those words was communicated without a further sound. The princess blushed which only enhanced her beauty._

"_Thank you." The princess murmured shyly._

"_You're welcome." It was then that Marissa realized something. "No one's ever told you that before?"_

"_They have, but I never believed them or felt that way, until now, until you. You make believe that I am. You make me feel that way." Bianca's gaze never wavered from Marissa's. "Having this garden in this particular spot has made me appreciate what true beauty is. It isn't just on the outside. The inside reflects the true beauty of something or someone."_

_It was now the counselor's turn to blush. The way the princess looked at her made Marissa feel as if her heart was going to beat out of chest. Both women felt a pull towards the other that was undeniable. They unknowingly closed the distance between them and …"_

_/\_

"That sounds like Mommy's garden! She's got the bestest and prettiest flowers ever!" Sparky chimed in.

Gabby sighed at yet another of her younger sibling's interruptions. It was just starting to get good. No matter how much she and her older siblings liked to give their parents a hard time about their public displays of affection, they really enjoyed seeing them. While she herself couldn't really remember their lives before the couple got together, AJ and Miranda did. They had told her about the sadness their mothers had gone through, the pain of past relationships. While they had some rough spots, they were few and far between and quickly resolved. The plain honest truth was their mothers were head over heels in love with each other, and that love had only seemed to deepen over time. So while they liked to tease them, it made them happy to see the smiles, glances, touches and stolen kisses between the couple. Not only did those things show how happy their mothers were, it also gave them hope for their own futures.

The look her mothers were exchanging right now was one she had seen countless times before. It was the one where they would get lost in each other's eyes and the deep, abiding love they felt shown like a beacon clear for anyone in Pine Valley or probably the entire state of Pennsylvania to see. She could picture the princess and the counselor exchanging such a look right before they kissed, and if Gabby loved anything more than her family, it was a happy ending and everyone knows that starts with a kiss.

"I don't know about any of you, but I could use a refill on the hot chocolate." Miranda caught the look her mothers were exchanging and figured it was a good time for a break. She'd seen it a number of times and knew they probably wanted a few minutes to themselves.

AJ smirked. "I could use one. Come on, Sparky. You can add the marshmallows." AJ hoisted the tiny redhead up on his shoulders as they followed Miranda and Gabby into the kitchen.

Bianca watched their children pad their way out of the room and turned with a smile to her wife. "Are we that obvious?"

Marissa laughed. "I guess so. We do have great kids."

"Yes, we do. I think I need you to sit a little closer."

The redhead inched slightly closer. "How's this?"

Bianca shook her head. "Closer."

Marissa moved a hair closer clearly teasing her wife. "How about now?"

Bianca arched an eyebrow. "You know that it's not close enough for what I have in mind. Don't make me come over there."

A wicked grin spread across Marissa's face. "I double dog dare you to do something about it."

"Oh Honey, it is so on!"

Marissa's laugh was soon drowned out by Bianca lunging forward and crashing their lips together.

/

AJ rolled his eyes hearing his mothers' laughter from the other room. "I think we got out of there just in time."

Miranda laughed. "Well, they have been behaving themselves all day. You know that's hard for them sometimes."

"True, it is. I could see it coming by the way they were looking at each other. I really want to find what they have someday."

"So do I." Miranda sighed wistfully. "Do you have the cocoa measured, Gabs?"

"Yep, it's all ready to add to the milk. Sparky, save some marshmallows for the hot chocolate."

The tiny redhead had stuffed several marshmallows into their mouth and now looked like a freckled chipmunk. "Sorry, Gabs."

AJ and Miranda snickered hearing their youngest sibling mimic Miranda's nickname for Gabby who just rolled her eyes. She couldn't really be mad when the tiny redhead looked so cute.

"It's alright, just don't do so many at one time."

"'K, Gabs!"

/

The kids padded back into the family room several minutes later to find their mothers slightly flushed with Marissa resting her head on Bianca's shoulder.

"I added the marshmallows!" Sparky grinned proudly.

Marissa smiled. "You did, huh? Well, it looks like you have the right number in there. Who measured the cocoa and made it?"

"I did!"

"Alright, Monkey, let's see how you did with the family recipe." Marissa took a sip and smiled with her approval. "Great job!"

Bianca followed her wife's lead and took a drink. "Your Ma's right. It's just as good as hers."

Gabby grinned at the praise. "Thanks! So, what about the story?"

"Ah yes, where was I?"

_/\_

_Both women felt a pull towards the other that was undeniable. They unknowingly closed the distance between them and …"_

"_Princess Bianca."_

_The couple sighed and moved apart seconds before a servant appeared at the garden's entrance, not daring to go any farther. "Princess Bianca, the Queen asked me to inform you that dinner will be served shortly."_

"_Thank you, Caroline. We'll be along presently."_

_The servant curtsied and hurried away._

_Bianca grinned sheepishly. "I should show you to your room. I'm sure you would like to freshen up."_

_Marissa cleared her throat as she tried to compose herself. "Yes, I would like that." The couple walked slowly out of the garden._

"_Well shoot. I thought for sure they were going to kiss." Greenlee sighed as she Kendall and Opal observed the couple while perched on a nearby tree branch._

"_I think they would've if that servant hadn't interrupted them. There's definitely something there between them." Kendall nodded knowingly._

"_Yes, there sure is. You can see it by the way they were looking at each other. I'm telling you that's true love right there. We have to make sure our girls get together and stay that way."_

_/_

"_So you're telling me, that Marissa is a counselor in the court of King Jesse and Queen Angie of Devonshire?" Frankie asked in disbelief as he and Krystal stopped in the village square. They had met on the road back from the castle with both having attended the Queen's Court._

"_It would seem so. She and Scott went with me earlier. You saw how quickly Queen Erica dismissed everyone after reading a request. I tried to find the pair for us to head back here together and couldn't right away. Then, I saw them following the sergeant at arms into a room. On my way out, I heard one of the servants say something about her being a counselor from Devonshire. Everyone knows that the King and Queen were sending messengers out to the surrounding kingdoms for help with the evil queen."_

"_That's true, and they are close to King Jesse and Queen Angie. Who do you suppose Scott is?"_

"_I would say he is a knight or a guard sent along to protect her."_

_Frankie was struck by thought. "I don't think that wolf attack was an accident."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Think about it. That's never happened before. Marissa and Scott show up from the kingdom of an ally and suddenly out of nowhere a wolf attacks them? It has to be related somehow especially since it's known that the evil queen can change forms."_

"_I think you might be right, Frankie. We're going to have to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary."_

_A raven squawked from its perch and flew off towards its home._

_/_

"_My queen."_

_Queen Tammy turned around and glared at the guard who had dared to interrupt her. The guard froze in place. "There had best be a good reason for you to barge into my library and interrupt me. As you are well aware, there are dire consequences for doing so."_

_The guard quickly bowed. "I deeply apologize, my queen. This is important. One of your spy birds has returned."_

_The queen stood abruptly. "Finally! Bring it here immediately!"_

"_Yes, my queen." The guard bowed again and quickly backed out of the room._

_Moments later, the guard reappeared with the raven._

"_Leave." After the guard left, the queen had the bird replay the conversation between Krystal and Frankie. The queen returned the bird to its cage. "So, the redhead is from Devonshire, and it would appear they are offering help. I can't allow to that happen. Mirror!"_

"_Yes, your majesty."_

"_Find me the princess and that redhead!"_

_The mirror disappeared momentarily and then returned. "I cannot locate them, your majesty."_

"_They must be at the palace. I know they are able to block me from spying on them there. I have to find out what is going on, what they are planning." The evil queen thought for a few moments before deciding there was no other way. "I have to go to the Valley of the Pines myself. I'll need a disguise though." With a flick of her wrist, she transformed into a wolf. She knew she would travel faster that way but would need to change her appearance again when she was closer to the village. She headed off knowing she would have time to plan along the way._

_/_

"_Marissa, I would like to introduce you to my husband, King Jackson."_

_The counselor quickly bowed. "Your majesty, it is an honor."_

"_Please rise. I have a feeling that I am the one who is honored. You've traveled far to help us, and from what I've heard from the Princess, your travels have not been uneventful. Please sit. We have much to discuss."_

_Marissa took the seat indicated by the King and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was directly across from Bianca. _

_The couple shared a smile and blushed ever so faintly which did not go unnoticed by Queen Erica. She had to admit that she liked the young woman so far. She could tell her daughter most certainly did. The Queen could only hope that Marissa was different wouldn't hurt her beloved Bianca._


End file.
